


Scarlet Gale: Bound by Duty

by NannexR



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Spoilers, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Long, Marriage Proposal, Novelization, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Post-Time Skip, Romance, Scarlet Gale, Slow(ish) Burn, Verdant Wind Framework, fluff now spice later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NannexR/pseuds/NannexR
Summary: Byleth Eisner, the "Ashen Demon", is dead. Emperor Edelgard wages war against the Church of Seiros, dragging all of Fodlan into her bloody war. Setting her sights on the Alliance, she marches towards the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Claude, lost in the absence of his "Teach", is desperate to stop her advance. When a plan finally comes to him, it's a terrible plan. A terrible, desperate, unreliable plan, yet, it's all he has. Leaving the Alliance to Lorenz, Claude makes for Almyra.Meanwhile, Edelgard struggles against an invisible foe. Behind the curtain of her war against the Church, she fights Those Who Slither in the Dark, however, she can not fight the Church alone. Forced to rely on the dark ones, she marches her army towards the Alliance, intent on eliminating one enemy before going after the other.Two rulers, two entirely separate worlds. Claude, a fleeting gust of wind that could be gone at any moment, and Edelgard, a raging bonfire of determination and conviction, charge towards each other, their paths colliding. Perhaps, just maybe, they can forge a new path, one that will lead Fodlan towards a brighter dawn. And, just maybe, they'll both end up happy in the end.((Updates Every Two Weeks))
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Claude von Riegan, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Lysithea von Ordelia, Marianne von Edmund/Lorenz Hellman Gloucester
Comments: 41
Kudos: 89





	1. The Proposal

**Prologue**

**_14th of the Ethereal Moon, 1184_ **

The watery capital of Derdriu was somber, the atmosphere thick with worry as the people of the Leicester Alliance prepared for their inevitable annihilation at the hands of the Adrestian Empire. The streets were empty, the usual sounds of children playing and the bustle of the market were things of the past, and were instead replaced with the sounds of soldiers training for the upcoming battle. Lorenz Gloucester couldn’t ignore these things as he made his way through the capital towards the Von Riegan household, marching through the once joyful capital.

Throughout all his life, there were few things that Lorenz could never understand, one of those things being the current duke of the Alliance, Claude. The two had had a rocky start, with Lorenz initially trying to force Claude out of his heritage so that he could claim it for himself. Despite their rough beginnings, however, the two had come a long way. Lorenz might even call them friends. Unfortunately for both of them, friendship doesn’t carry you through war, as wonderful as that would be, Lorenz had to face reality. His only fear was that reality would be too much for Claude to handle.

Lorenz entered the household, thanking the servants as they took his coat. The interior of the Von Riegan household never ceased to amaze him. As he walked up the stairs, making his way to Claude’s study, he couldn’t help but run his fingers through the grooves carved into the banisters, enjoying the testament to architecture. He marveled at how the grooves in the walls seemed to accent their smoky brown color, how the tapestries hanging from the walls documented the history of the Alliance, dating back to when the collection of merchant states broke away from Faerghus. Clearly the interior of the house had been handled by someone of exceptional skill. Lorenz would have to ask if he ever got the chance. 

He climbed the two flights of stairs and navigated several hallways before arriving at his destination: a small, oak door with a simple brass handle. Lorenz sighed as he knocked on the door, four simple raps. From inside the room came a tired voice. 

“Come in,” it said, exhaustion clearly evident in the speaker’s voice, “The door’s open.”

Lorenz gently turned the handle and opened the door, preparing his mind for anything that might lie beyond the threshold.

Papers, books, pens, and string were strewn all across the room in random piles, a sort of chaotic organization system. The room itself was dark, void of natural light as the man in front of him had taken to shutting the curtains and pinning them to the wall to ensure they stayed that way. “Claude,” Lorenz spoke concisely, cutting through the dreary atmosphere of the room, “You look absolutely haggard.”

A chuckle found its way through Claude’s lips as he smiled, the first time in two days.

“Thanks Lorenz. You know, you don’t look too bad yourself,” the smile, small at first, now grew wider in the company of his friend, “I see you have a new rose adorning you breast. Tell me, how’s Marianne doing?”

Lorenz snorted at his pathetic attempt to avoid the issue at hand. “She’s scared Claude. We’re all scared, and here you are-” he motioned around the room, making a full circle with his hand, “-locked in your study. Tell me you have a plan Claude.”

Claude’s smile disappeared. For the first time in a long time, he could hear genuine worry in Lorenz’s tone instead of his usual snark. It made him feel even worse for what he was about to do.

“I do have a plan Lorenz,” he winced internally as relief flooded over Lorenz’s face and his rival’s posture relaxed ever so slightly, “but I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.”

Lorenz rolled his eyes. “Honestly Claude, when do I ever like your schemes? What’s so bad about this one that the others lacked?”

Claude smirked at his friend’s banter as he prepared to break the news to him. “Lorenz Gloucester of House Gloucester, you are now the new duke of the Leicester Alliance. May your rule be long and prosperous.”

Lorenz’s face did several interesting things spanning the next minute or so. At first, nothing. Lorenz thought for sure that Claude was making a jest, he had to be surely. When the man’s expression didn’t change, however, a look of shock, pure, unadulterated shock covered his face. He sputtered for a moment before the final emotion made itself known. Lorenz looked angry, furious even. “This is your great master plan,” he spewed, “You’re simply running away and leaving us to die?”  
Claude shook his head and shrugged. “You know, I thought you’d at least be excited. After all, isn’t this what you’ve wanted all these years?” He let Lorenz collect and compose himself before continuing. “And no, Lorenz, I’m not leaving the Alliance to die. I’m leaving the Alliance to you because, to do what I must do, I cannot be its future. Instead, my friend, that burden now falls upon your shoulders.”

Lorenz was taken aback. He simply had no idea how to react and, after a moment to ponder, he opted to further his questioning. “Claude, what is it you have to do? Surely whatever it is, we can do together.”

Claude chuckled again though it was sad as he, however much he wished he could, would never be able to escape the truth. “Your optimism is a welcome change in these trying times my friend. That’s how I know you’ll lead the Alliance down a prosperous path. As for me, I have to go away for awhile. When I return though, rest assured that I will deal with Edelgard.” He turned towards the window, ripping the curtains off the ornate rods, letting the sun pour into the room like soup into a bowl.

Lorenz eyed his friend with concern, fearing that he had started to go insane. “Deal with Edelgard? Claude, she commands one of the most powerful military forces Fodlan has ever seen. You are but one man and I can’t with good conscience let you march to your death in some ill-fated attempt to stop her crusade.”

Again, Claude smiled. “My friend, you mistake me for a fool. Listen carefully Lorenz for what I am about to tell you must never leave this room until my plan is enacted.” He turned to the purple-haired man, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning into his ear. For the next few minutes, Claude spoke in a hushed tone to ensure that no one could spy on them.

When it was done, Lorenz broke away, another shocked expression contorting his face. “You plan to what? Claude this isn’t just foolish, it’s insane. You’d be subjecting yourself to a torturous existence, one where you’ll never be happy, even if your dreams do come true. I cannot allow you to do this. I will not allow you to do this to yourself. I’d rather throw my life away than have you waste yours protecting mine!”

Claude turned back to the window, taking in the beautiful city of Derdriu one last time. “I’m sorry Lorenz, but we can’t pretend anymore. Teach is gone and she’s never coming back. That’s the truth.” He turned to his friend once more, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze. “The truth hurts Lorenz but we all need to move forward. I trust you to lead the Alliance down a path that will shape the future of Fodlan. If anyone can do it, it’s you. Meanwhile, I will ensure that your path is one free of the strife. This burden is mine to bear. Goodbye my friend. May your life be filled with happiness.”

Claude left the study, leaving Lorenz alone with his thoughts and his newfound burden. Lorenz crossed the room and shut the door, resting on the oak and sinking to the floor. For the first time in his life, he was utterly lost. He didn’t know what the future held. He sat for a minute before sighing and rising to his feet. He brushed himself off and left the study. He would tidy it up later. The only thing he could do now was go home to his wife. His future would come tomorrow and he would face it with pride. He hoped that Claude would be able to do the same.

**Chapter 1: The Proposal**

**_31st of the Ethereal Moon, 1184_ **

The Great Bridge of Myrddin was truly something to behold. Spanning across the entire Airmid River, the bridge served as the crossing point between the Empire and the Alliance. Whoever controlled the bridge would be able to easily invade the country on the other end. Edelgard kept this in mind as she marched towards the bridge, closing the distance with determination that only came from one committed to the path of war. Her victory today would pave the way to her victory tomorrow.

Of course, Edelgard wasn’t so arrogant as to assume victory. Hubert’s network of spies, kept on a short leash by her retainer, had informed the Imperial army that the bridge was being protected by Judith, the hero of House Daphnel and one of the Alliance’s mightiest warriors. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight and Edelgard had accounted for such.

Accompanying her was the Black Eagle Strike Force, a group of warriors consisting of her classmates during her time at Garreg Mach. They had stuck with her all this time, even after her declaration of war on the Church of Seiros. They’d stuck with her with the knowledge that if they lost, the ones who didn’t die on the battlefield would be executed by the Archbishop herself. She would always be eternally grateful for their loyalty. With her friends behind her and Aymr at her side, she marched on towards the bridge, preparing herself for the upcoming battle.

* * *

On the other end of the bridge Judith was pacing back and forth. She knew that they had the advantageous position in terms of tactics however, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were fighting a losing battle. The Imperial Army had decimated every challenge before this, why should she, Judith of House Daphnel, be any different. She was confident that, to the Emperor, she was just another obstacle in the way of her hold on the world.

She shook these thoughts from her head. She couldn’t afford to think about these things. Whatever may come would come but, for now, she had to keep her spirits high for her troops. For him. After all, she was Judith, the Hero of House Daphnel, and she’d be damned if she let some princess in emperor’s clothes beat her on this day.

“Brave soldiers of the Leicester Alliance hear me!” she shouted, an attempt to rally the troops one last time before the battle began, “Today we defend not only this bridge, but our nation! Our freedom and our families all rely on what we do here and now!”

Her troops looked at her with worried eyes. Her heart went out to them, it really did, but this was war and she couldn’t afford to have them not give it their all.

“The Emperor thinks she can walk in and take this bridge with no effort!” her troops started to perk up at the blatant provocation, “So let’s show her just how wrong she is! For the Alliance!” She thrust her sword skyward, awakening a feeling of hope in her men.

“For the Alliance!”

“For the Alliance!”

“For the Alliance!”

“Lady Judith! A wyvern rider is approaching from the south!”

The sudden break in the mantra startled her and she turned towards the southern sky to see a wyvern unlike any other, a streak of white across the blue sky. She grew worried. There was only one person with a wyvern like that and, if he was here, that could only mean-.

“Archers stand down! It’s Claude!” She shouted the order, a brief moment of humor overcoming her as she thought of how ironic it would be for the boy to be shot down by his own troops.

Judith watched as the wyvern landed and stood, her arms crossed, letting Claude know that he would have to come to her. The expression on her face let him know that she was surprised to see him, but not in a good way. He feigned a smile as he approached the mighty and intimidating hero of House Daphnel. She responded with a look that seemed to say, “I won’t hesitate to stab you.”

“Judith,” He greeted her with his arms extended outwards, “It’s lovely to see you. I take it you’ve had a comfortable time protecting our great bridge?”

“Cut the shit boy. Why are you here?” Judith’s tone let Claude know that she wasn’t in the mood for his games. She was tired and on edge, about to face the greatest enemy of her career. He really couldn’t blame her. “Have you come to deliver news of our surrender?”

Claude chuckled at her question. “No Judith, not quite, but I appreciate your optimism. However,” He looked behind her to the troops that were scared out of their minds, baffled by his sudden appearance, “I am hereby relieving you and your troops of duty. You’re to return to Derdriu at once and assist Lorenz with anything he may need.”

Judith cocked her head and eyed Claude with suspicion. “Oh? And what will you do boy? Stop the emperor in her advance all by yourself? You can’t honestly expect me to just leave you out here on your own.”

Claude chuckled, his hopes and dreams shattering internally as his next words left his mouth, desperately clinging onto the false hope that there might be some alternative. “I’m sorry Judith, but I can’t offer you an explanation. This time, I just need you to trust me ok?”

Judith looked at him with a stern gaze for a moment before she relented. “Fine boy, but you better be careful-” she stood there for a moment before wrapping the man in a hug, “-because I’d rather not lose you so soon.” She released him and turned back to her troops.

“Alright men, change of plans! Starting right now, we march back to Derdriu. Understood!”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Good! Now move it, let’s go!” She spurred her troops towards the Alliance capital, turning around to get one last look at Claude before hopping on her horse and riding to the front of her battalion. “Be safe boy.”

* * *

Edelgard marched her army across the bridge, a sense of anxiety building up inside her. She should have encountered someone, anyone by now and yet, the bridge was abandoned. Had the great Judith turned tail and fled from the oncoming assault. Part of her was hopeful but she knew it to be false. If she wasn’t here, then the Alliance had something else in store for them. That was when she saw him.

Sitting in the middle of the bridge, having dragged a table and chair to allow himself to rest comfortably, sat Claude von Riegan. By himself. Sipping a cup of tea. Edelgard immediately went into high alert. This had to be one of his schemes. Surely he would not be so foolish as to present himself to her, ripe for the taking. She made sure to carefully observe her surroundings with incredible scrutiny, searching for any potential troops hiding in the corners, like termites in the woodwork.

“This isn’t a trap, Edelgard.” He called out to her. How bold. “It’s just me. I want to talk. Come, join me for a cup of tea princess.” He motioned to the seat that sat opposite of him.

With her interest peaked, she signaled for her army to hold their position. Hubert came up to her, bowing, before speaking.

“Your majesty, with all due respect, you cannot honestly be considering taking him up on his offer,” His warning, though wise, was unnecessary, “Claude is the most dangerous opponent we’ve faced to date. If you go out there by yourself, there’s no telling what he may attempt. It’d be a shame for your noble crusade to end due to one foolish decis-”

Edelgard held up her hand, silencing her retainer like the dog he was. “I appreciate your concern Hubert, but I don’t intend on playing by his rules. I’m simply going to see what he wants. Perhaps he’s come to surrender, and we can be on our way that much quicker. Now, stay here and keep the troops in line for me.”

Hubert bowed as Edelgard walked out to meet Claude. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her back, looking towards her with fear, hope, despair even. She didn’t let it hold her back as she approached the man in front of her, eyeing the Heroes Relic on his back, the legendary Failnaught.

“Relax Princess. Despite your weapon being much larger and slower,” He nodded at Aymr, “You could easily behead me before I could even get the bow off my back. Now, please, take a seat.”

Edelgard remained standing, staring at Claude with a steely gaze, lilac eyes meeting emerald green. “What did you wish to discuss, Claude? Have you perhaps come to negotiate the Alliance’s surrender? You must know by now that you can’t possibly hope to defeat me.”

Claude said nothing and, instead, took a sip from his cup of tea. Setting the ornate china down on the table, he shrugged. “Sorry Edelgard, but if you want the Alliance to surrender, you’ll have to talk to Lorenz. After all, he is the Duke now.”

This caught Edelgard off guard. After a moment, she chuckled softly. “What are you playing at Schemer? First you say you want to negotiate and then you reveal you have nothing to negotiate with. Why do you insist on wasting my time?” She raised Aymr into the air, hoping to show that she was done playing games.

Claude didn’t bat an eye. Instead, he reached into his pocket and, after holding his hand up to let Edelgard know he wasn’t going to pull a dagger on her, pulled a ring from his pocket. “Edelgard von Hresvelg, marry me.”

For the second time today, Edelgard was caught off guard, a flash of anger searing itself onto her face as she prepared to cut Claude in two. “Marry you?! Have you truly lost your mind? You have nothing to offer. Marrying you offers no advantage that I can’t easily obtain myself.”

Again, Claude didn’t flinch, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “What about Almyra?”

Third time’s the charm. Edelgard lowered Aymr and, for the first time, realized that Claude wasn’t kidding. That this wasn’t just some ploy to kill time and allow a surprise attack. “You mean to say-”

“Yes Edelgard,” he rose to his feet and kneeled, committing fully to his part, “Marry me and you shall have the continent of Almyra at your back. All I ask in return is that you leave the Alliance alone. Can you do that?”

She turned away, fuming internally. His offer was a good one. Her army was already formidable but, with the continent of Almyra at her back, she’d be unstoppable. Still, she couldn’t believe that Claude would just give himself up for a territory he no longer had any ties to. To her, he had always seemed more selfish.

“How do I know that your offer is genuine Claude. For all I know, you could be plotting my assasination and this is just an opportunity to get close to me, have easy access to your target.”

Claude scoffed and stayed in the same spot. “Edelgard, if I had wished to kill you, I would’ve shot you as soon as you stepped foot on this bridge. You know me. I’m not one to miss. Despite that, killing you does nothing as, without a doubt, your army would surely carry on your cause and the Alliance would inevitably be destroyed. This is the only thing I can do to ensure its safety. So, what do you say?”

Edelgard eyed the man kneeling before her with a newfound respect. For him to be willing to compromise himself like this, endanger himself like this, all for the sake of a collection of territories that had probably discriminated against him his entire life was impressive. Still, it wasn’t as if he had forced her into a corner.

Edelgard contemplated just killing him now. Surely if she presented his dead body to Derdriu, the Alliance would surrender immediately. Yet, with Lorenz in charge, nothing was certain. Finally, the tactical advantage of having not only Almyra, but Claude, who was most likely the greatest tactical geniuses on the continent, on her side practically guaranteed her the war.

Claude waited with bated breath. Sure he had played it cool up until now, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t just kill him. He’d really not like to die today. As far as his plans went, now that he thought about it, this was more of a gamble than a plan. He just hoped that it paid off.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Edelgard spoke. “Why? Why would you choose this path?”

Claude looked up, meeting her eyes with his. “Why? Easy. You and I aren’t so different. We want the same thing, we just disagree about how it should be obtained.” He sighed, “However, over the past few years, I’ve come to realize that I can’t just sit around and expect change to happen naturally. While I may not agree with everything you're doing, I’d rather offer my services to you to protect my friends than watch them be trampled by your crusade.”

They were silent as Claude returned to staring at the ground, a solemn atmosphere taking hold. Finally, Edelgard spoke up once more, taking Claude by the hand. “I accept your proposal.”


	2. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Claude uses his poison tongue to test his limits, and, as a result, almost gets his head smashed through a table. However, all is not lost, as Edelgard isn't interested in being petty.

**_1st of the Guardian Moon, 1185_ **

Edelgard and Claude were married the next day despite numerous protests, most voiced by Hubert and the rest of the Black Eagles. The wedding was short and simple with Lindhart presiding over the ceremony. After the decorative wedding had concluded, the day had grown tired and night had taken over. Claude and Edelgard were left alone in her tent to “consummate” their vows. The awkward atmosphere was suffocating, so much so that Claude got up to leave.

“Sit.” Edelgard’s voice was firm, leaving no room for disobedience and Claude could do nothing but obey as he took a seat at a small table.

Edelgard stared at him, her eyes hard and cold as she paced the tent, trying to determine the best way to say what she needed to say.

“Claude, before we continue any further, our marriage is purely political. Do I make myself clear.” It wasn’t a question but a demand. There was no room for insubordination.

Claude chuckled in the face of the bull that stared him down. “Crystal your majesty,” he smirked at her, the smile not reaching his emerald eyes, “Besides, did you really think I planned to have a happy life with you? You must truly think me quite the fool.”

Edelgard’s lilac eyes narrowed as she stared at the man in front of her. He shared more similarities with a fly than a man, always the annoyance that one couldn’t quite get rid of. She turned away, his pathetic attempt to get a rise out of her failing miserably.

“No Claude, I don’t think you’re a fool. I think you’re a pest, a parasite. You leech off of others what you can’t achieve for yourself, quite effectively might I add.” Her eyes narrowed once more as she faced him, speaking with sincerity. “You’re pathetic.”

Claude seemed to shrink in his chair, but only for a moment before his trademark smile returned to his face and he grinned. “Say what you will, majesty, but you’re the one who married this pathetic parasite to gain a tactical advantage. Not that I blame you but isn’t that exactly what you just accused me of doing? Leeching off the accomplishments of others?”

Edelgard clenched her fists and Claude chuckled internally. It seems he had finally gotten a rise out of the wall of nothing that was the Emperor. After a moment of silence, Edelgard broke the hostile atmosphere. “Enough of this banter. If you’re going to fight alongside us, I need you to understand what we’re up against.”

He grew puzzled at this. Did she truly believe him to be that stupid? Or, perhaps, there was more to this whole thing.

“What we’re up against? Are you referring to Dimitri and Rhea?” His question hung in the air for a moment before making way for another uncomfortable silence.

After a moment, Edelgard broke the silence with a sigh before speaking again. “Your optimism is misplaced Schemer. You are correct, but only halfway. It is true that Dimitri and Rhea must be dealt with if the world is to change, but there is a much larger threat lurking behind the veil of this war.” She paused, allowing the weight of her revelation to sink in before continuing. “Tell me, do you remember Monika and Tomas from our days at the Academy?”

A wave of memories came pouring into Claude’s mind at the mention of those two names. The kidnapping of Flayn, the return of Monika, a girl who hung suspiciously close to Edelgard at all times, the tragedy at Remire Village where Tomas was revealed to be the sinister mage Solon. The memories kept coming. The death of Captain Jeralt, the chase, the transformation of his teacher, the invasion of Garreg Mach, and, finally, the death of Byl-.

“Claude. Do you recall them?” Edelgard’s piercing voice snapped him out of his trip down memory lane and he looked at her, slightly stunned, and nodded.

“Of course I remember. It was because of them that we found out that Teach was actu-” Claude stopped talking abruptly as a pained expression contorted Edelgard’s face. He took a sort of grim satisfaction in this. It was good that she felt guilty. 

He cleared his throat. “I remember them, yes. Are you telling me that there’s more like them, a group perhaps, hiding in the shadows?”

“Yes,” Edelgard nodded, thankful that he had caught on quickly, “They call themselves the Agarthans, and they’ve been operating in the shadows, manipulating Fodlan’s future for eons now. They are also the ones responsible for my-” she stopped herself, appalled by what she would have revealed had she not caught herself, Unfortunately for her, her slip up had not gone unnoticed.

Claude cocked his head to the side, resting his chin on his fist as he eyed the Emperor. “Responsible for your what?” He gauged Edelgard’s reaction carefully for what she did next could provide him some insight about the insecurities of the heartless monster in front of him. Anything could be a weapon if he used it properly.

Edelgard, much to Claude’s disappointment, was quick to cover her tracks. “They are the ones responsible for my hatred towards the Church.” Realizing this would not satisfy him, she quickly offered another bit of information for the man to dig his teeth into. “They are also the ones truly responsible for the tragedy of Duscur. I assume you know of it?”

Claude nodded, his eyes wide. “To think that they-” he paused before meeting Edelgard’s eyes, “-if what you say is true, and they really are such a threat, why didn’t you use your military power as Emperor to destroy them before declaring war on the Church?” 

He had her. He knew it, she knew, and he already had his answer. 

“You’re working with them,” he hissed, his tone accusatory, “Here you are, acting all high mighty as if you truly care for Fodlan and yet,” he paused as anger flashed across her face before continuing, “And yet you had no qualms working with the people you claim to despise if it meant furthering your own agenda. I may be pathetic, but you’re a hypocrite.”

“Enough!” Her shout rang out as her fist struck the table, a crack appearing at the point of impact.

“How dare you.” Her lilac eyes burned with anger and her voice dripped with venom. “How dare you accuse me of hypocrisy when you have no idea what I’ve sacrificed to get here. Don’t act like you understand Claude. You understand nothing. I have had to live each day knowing that I am working with the true enemy, the real threat, the people who took everything from me and it sickens me.”

“Oh but not enough to actually do anything about it right,” Claude interrupted her, his emerald eyes dull and dead, his form unflinching in the way of the oncoming storm, “tell me then, why start caring now Edelgard. Surely you could stomach it a little longer, at least until you wiped out the Kingdom and the Church right. So tell me your majesty,” the words rolled off his tongue as if they were spoiled milk, “what changed your mind?”

Edelgard, still simmering with fury, was caught off guard by the question. Damn him. He had a knack for saying things she was unprepared for.

The two of them stayed like this for a while, Claude watching Edelgard with bored disinterest, and Edelgard staring at the floor, her fists clenched to her sides. Finally, she took a shaky breath and spoke a single word.

“You.”

It was Claude’s turn to be caught off guard as he lifted his head from the table. 

“What? What do you mean  _ me _ ?”

Edelgard turned to him, staring him dead in the eyes. “When you offered me the support of Almyra, that’s what changed my mind. Thanks to you, I no longer need the Agarthans to accomplish my goals. I no longer have to rely on those who slither in the dark because I have you. Is that an adequate response?”

He sat for a moment, straightening his posture before replying. “That depends. Do you truly mean what you said earlier? About despising them?”

“Yes,” she spoke with vehemence, “had it not been for their necessity, I would have scoured them from the face of the earth by now. So, Claude, are you prepared to help me defend Fodlan from these monsters?”

He sat there for a moment before rising to his feet. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

He nodded. “Fine. I’ll help you. The Almyran Immortal Corps will be here by the end of the week and a small auxiliary force will arrive the following week. Mobilizing the entire Almyran army takes more time, but if Nader keeps his word, you’ll be commanding them by the end of the month. Good enough for you?”

She nodded, shocked by his sudden change from defensive to compliant. Again, she hadn’t anticipated this though, as she was beginning to learn, that wasn’t always a bad thing when it came to Claude.

He nodded in return. “Good. Now that that’s taken care of, where shall I sleep? Unless you actually want to, you know?” His trademark grin returned though his eyes remained dull.

Edelgard sighed at his poor attempt at humor. “Hubert has prepared a tent for you. He’s waiting outside to take you to it. You’ll be placed on the outskirts of camp to dissuade any assasination attempts from occurring within the camp itself.”

“Oh that’s lovely. Truly, thank you for the concern.” He flicked a speck of dust off his garbs to emphasize his sarcasm. “However, what’s to stop Mr. Tall and Gruesome from killing me himself?”

Edelgard sighed, rubbing her temples. Her patience was beginning to run thin as the man continued to play games. “Hubert should behave amicably. Now, please, leave me.”

Claude nodded and turned to leave when, right when he was about to cross the threshold, Edelgard called out to him.

“Claude. Thank you.”

He stood there for a moment, not sure of what to say. Finally, he just nodded and exited the tent, leaving Edelgard alone with her thoughts, her scars, and her burning anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'sup guys? Hope you're doing well. I know I didn't upload last Friday, but that's because I uploaded Tuesday. I plan on updating weekly because I like to stay five chapters ahead of what I'm posting. Also, I apologize for such a short chapter. Don't worry though. When writing this chapter, I was still in the process of figuring out where I wanted to take things. I promise that the chapters will get longer. In fact, the chapter I'm currently writing is shaping up to be 7000+ words. So, if you stick with me, I promise I have much more of this story to share. Thanks guys!


	3. Arianrhod

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Imperial Army marches on the Silver Maiden, joined by Claude's Immortal Corps. Before the battle though, Claude and Edelgard have a bit of a spout. Claude says something he shouldn't have.

**_24th of the Guardian Moon, 1185_ **

True to his word, Claude had the Immortal Corps, a battalion consisting of Almyran barbarossas, on hand and mobilized by the end of the week. They were placed on the outskirts of camp with their king to avoid causing tension between them and the Imperial troops, but Claude would still catch the two groups exchanging dirty looks from time to time. This was disheartening to say the least, but he hoped the groups would warm to each other with the passage of time. After all, they had plenty of that.

The army was aiming to take the Fortress City of Arianrhod, otherwise known as the Silver Maiden, and had been marching towards their goal for about a week now.. Seeing as he was technically the emperor, Claude was obligated to lead the troops alongside his  _ lovely _ wife. 

As far as partners went, Edelgard left a lot to be desired. She was, to him at least, apathetic, not caring what he did or where he went as long as it didn’t interfere with her crusade. Not that he blamed her for this. He wasn’t exactly looking to make heartfelt connections either, but still, would it kill her to engage in idle chit chat to make the trek slightly less tedious? He sighed aloud as he rolled his head back in an exaggerated motion.

“Is something wrong Claude?” She spoke, though it was only her mouth that moved. Her eyes bore holes into the landscape ahead of her, completely fixated on her goal.

Claude could feel his trademark grin, his automatic defense, spreading across his face. “Not at all your most royal of highnesses,” from the back of his horse, he gave his best attempt at a mock bow, “I was just pondering some things.”

“Oh,” Edelgard’s left eyebrow lifted ever so slightly, giving Claude the satisfaction of at least obtaining a physical reaction, “Do enlighten me Schemer. What devious plot has your mind cooked up today? Are you going to overembelish my title the rest of the way just to annoy me or do you have something else in store?”

Claude chuckled. This was the most she’d spoken to him since their wedding night in the tent. He spurred his horse, the animal picking up pace enough so that he and Edelgard were now side by side.

“Neither actually,” the words rolled off his tongue, soaked in false innocence, “I was simply wondering about why I’m not flying above with my battalion. After all, wouldn’t it be strategically advantageous to have even more eyes in the sky to spot oncoming threats? Not to mention, I’m much more comfortable on a wyvern.”

Edelgard saw through his ploy immediately, or so she thought. “No. Well yes, while it is true that you being with your battalion would be strategically advantageous, it is politically advantageous for us to be seen together by people from both our nations. Were we to be constantly apart, it may negatively affect the relations between our people and cause tensions between our troops. Therefore, I want you by my side whenever possible. It is necessary to maintain this facade.”

Claude opened his mouth to reply, but shut it immediately. He hadn’t expected such an honest and well-thought-out response from her. In truth, he expected to be scolded and told to mind himself. He hadn’t expected her to see things the way she had and, admittedly, he was ashamed for not considering that himself, especially since he was the one who pointed out that they weren’t so different in the first place. To hide his self-aimed disappointment, he promptly changed the subject.

“Why do you always wear gloves? Even during our academy days, I don’t ever recall seeing you without them on. Do you have some sort of skin condition?”

Edelgard stiffened, and Claude knew at once that he had struck a nerve. For a moment, he wondered if she really did have a skin condition. Perhaps her hands were monstruos and covered with scales. He entertained this idea for the few brief moments before she responded, her voice light.

“No, I don’t have a skin condition. I simply have,” she paused for a moment, wincing as if recalling something truly terrible, “Unsightly fingernails. They grow uncontrollably fast so I wear the gloves to hide them until I can take care of them properly.”

Claude nodded, clearly not convinced by the pathetic lie. Still, he wasn’t one to push someone to share something they obviously weren’t comfortable sharing, even if it was someone as despised as Edelgard. Even so, his interest was piqued and his mind filled with possible explanations, ailments, and entertaining falsehoods.

Edelgard brought her mount to a halt, and dismounted, Claude followed suit. 

Signaling a full stop and addressing her soldiers, Edelgard spoke. “We’ll stop here for today! Tomorrow, we’ll attack Arianrhod at dawn when the enemy least expects it! We must take full advantage of the time we have here and now so I expect all of you to rest well! Black Eagle Strike Force,” she addressed her fellow classmates directly, “I need to speak with all of you in the tactics tent. Dismissed!”

The soldiers bustled about, some beginning to set up camp, and others just laying about, clearly tired from the long day of marching. Claude, about to join his troops and assist in setting up camp, halted as a voice from behind him called out.

“Claude,” It was Edelgard, standing expectantly with her arms crossed, “Where are you going?”

This was the first of many times Claude would be confused in the upcoming weeks. Doing his best to hide it, he motioned towards the Almyrans, who were currently setting up three tents. “I was going to assist my men.”

Edelgard hummed in disapproval. “Come with me Claude. You are to attend the tactics meeting as well.” She turned on her heel and walked towards a tent that had been set up impossibly quickly, leaving Claude to himself. After a moment, he simply shrugged and followed after her.

* * *

Claude and the members of the Black Eagle house stood around a map of Arianrhod. From the information they’d received via Hubert’s network of spies, Claude could tell that taking the city would be no simple task. The place was riddled with spike traps, surrounded by high walls designed to filter attackers in a certain way, and a moat. All in all, it was the perfect fortress. Despite this, Claude knew everything had a flaw, some fatal weakness that could be exploited. He just had to find it.

“Claude and I will lead the main force consisting of myself, Claude, Felix, Petra and Bernadetta through the front gates.” Edelgard’s stern voice brought Claude out of his thoughts. “Hubert, I need you and Ferdinand to lead a small auxiliary force consisting of you, Ferdinand, and Dorothea through the east entrance. Can you two behave amicably enough toward one another to pull this off?”

Ferdinand spoke up almost immediately with a peppy, “Of course your majesty. Perhaps once we pull this off, you will see how truly great I am,” while Hubert replied with a short bow and, “If her majesty wills it, it shall be done.” Between the two men, Claude couldn’t figure out who the bigger boot licker was.

His little joke brought a smile to his face as he examined the map again, noticing something. He’d found it. The flaw in a nearly perfect fortress.

“Actually Edelgard,” he spoke up, drawing the glares of everyone in the room, save for Edelgard who just seemed annoyed that he had spoken at all, “Perhaps it would be wiser for me to take a small battalion and a few men and attack through the west entrance.” He pointed to a spot on the map, sliding an ornate carving of a wyvern over to the location.

“This way, we could cover more ground, allowing us to find the mechanism that disables the spike traps dotting the fortress like weeds.” He grabbed a few more pieces and moved them around. “It also allows us to perform a sort of pincer maneuver, attacking the enemy from three sides and overwhelming them.” He finished arranging the pieces, the map now displaying a brilliant, three-pronged attack, a trident. The others looked at Claude with a sort of awe now, they’re glares replaced with genuine interest.

Edelgard, after a moment of examining the map, conceded to the Schemer. Not even she could deny the effectiveness of such a plan. “Alright. Who do you need?”

Claude looked around the room at all the faces staring back at him. Some were angry, others were simply curious. Even so, Claude would be much more comfortable with someone he knew, and it wasn’t long until his eyes found the perfect person. “I only need Lysithea.”

The smaller girl squeaked in surprise. She had expected Claude to hate her after she had sided with Edelgard. The fact that he didn’t came as a pleasant surprise. She nodded towards him, the traces of a small smile on her face. “I’d be honored.”

Edelgard nodded, satisfied with the results of the meeting. “Alright, that is all. You all are dismissed. Rest well my friends for tomorrow we take our first step into Faerghus, and our first step towards Rhea.” The others nodded and dispersed, leaving Claude and Edelgard alone.

“So,” Claude began, realizing that, for once, he had nothing to say.

“So what?” Edelgard asked, as she began to clean up the items strewn across the table, Claude joining her out of courtesy.

“Nothing, it’s just,” He stammered for a moment, the words refusing to come to him in a timely, sensible fashion, “I didn’t expect to be included, let alone taken seriously.”

Edelgard looked puzzled at this. “Why wouldn’t you be taken seriously Claude? As much as I am loath to admit it, it is no secret that you are one of, if not the, greatest tactical geniuses in Fodlan. Even Hubert has a hard time keeping up with you. It would be foolish of me not to include you in meetings such as these.”

This elicited a chuckle from the man. “Well now, I’m glad you think so highly of my tactical prowess. Perhaps it’s good that I’m around seeing as how brute force seems to be your answer to everything.”

Edelgard sighed, not in the mood for any more of his accusations. “Please Claude, save your biting words for later. Tomorrow, we face one of the most dangerous enemies the Kingdom can throw at us, and I’d rather not lose to her just because we spent the entire night arguing about methods.”

“Hold on. Her?” Claude questioned, clearly curious now that Edelgard revealed she had some knowledge of who they were up against, “Who are we going to be fighting tomorrow Edelgard?”

Edelgard sighed, taking a seat and motioning for Claude to do the same. When he did, she began. “Her name is Cornelia. She’s one of the Agarthans I told you about earlier, and the Kingdom’s most powerful sorceress. She’s a heartless creature and despicable murderer. She’s one of the ones directly responsible for the tragedy of Duscur.” 

Claude, clearly confused at this, pressed further. “Does Dimitri know about this? Surely if we told him, he’d be willing to help. He may not be all that bright, but even he will listen to reason.”

Edelgard shook her head. “I’m afraid that that’s where you’re wrong Claude. Cornelia, along with my uncle, Lord Arundel, have somehow managed to convince Dimitri that I was responsible for Duscur. This, along with everything else that’s happened along the way, has driven him to insanity. He’s obsessed with me, his only desire to wipe me from the face of the earth.”

Claude contemplated this before standing up. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe that. The Dimitri I knew may not have been fit to rule, but he was always kind. Even with the darkness that slept within his soul, he always remembered to be kind. When we meet him on the battlefield, please, let me try to talk to him first.”

“Claude, you’d be throwing your life away,” Edelgard’s voice was stern yet Claude could tell that, deep down, she didn’t want to kill Dimitri at all, “If you die, I’ll lose the support of the Almyrans, and I simply can’t allow that to happen. When the time comes, I will face Dimitri on my own. Do you understand?”

Claude simply nodded, realizing that the conversation would go nowhere if he kept pressing the matter. He got up, and made his way out of the tent, the prior conversation leaving a bad taste in his mouth. It was a promise he wouldn’t be able to keep.

* * *

Later that night, Claude was walking around the camp, gazing at the stars. The sky had always been the place he’d turn to whenever he felt lost or confused. He’d done this throughout the many years in Almyra, and during his first years in Fodlan. He found himself picking up his old habit again, now of all times. 

“How did I end up here,” He spoke aloud, not caring if anyone heard him. It wasn’t as if his reputation was at stake, “If there really is a goddess, is this some kind of sick joke?”

He chuckled at his own poor humor. There was no goddess, at least, not anymore. She had died five years ago during Edelgard’s invasion of Garreg Mach. Claude thought about that day a lot, about how he had been too slow on the uptake, too trusting. If he’d just figured out Edelgard’s secret, just worked it all out a little sooner, then maybe, just maybe…

He shook himself out of those thoughts. It wasn’t healthy to dwell on the past, and besides, he couldn’t really blame Edelgard for doing what she did. She saw something wrong with the world, and sought to fix it through the one method she believed to be most efficient: war. Despite this, a part of him did blame her, a large part. Had it not been for her, his teacher, his friend, would still be here today. To Claude though, he knew no matter who he blamed, it wasn’t going to change anything. Byleth was gone, the Sword of the Creator lost with her. He just wished he’d been able to say goodbye.

A sudden cry tore Claude from his melancholy thoughts, triggering his fight or flight response as he dropped to his knees, drawing Failnaught, and knocking a regular arrow. He tilted his head towards where he thought he’d heard the sound emanate from, keeping quiet in case it came again. Sure enough, another cry tore through the camp, followed by several softer whimpers. Realizing it was coming from one of the tents,Claude rushed to where he thought the sounds were coming from, fearing that an assassin from Arianrhod had somehow snuck into the camp, and was currently murdering his intended victim in an extremely botched way

Coming to the tent he believed was the source of the commotion, he took a deep breath, pulled the arrow back, and entered. To his surprise, it was Edelgard’s tent, empty save for the two of them. Claude noted how sweaty she was, her skin absolutely soaked in moisture. He observed her for a moment, watching as she tossed and turned, whimpered and occasionally cried out.

He was at a loss. It seemed that she was having a nightmare, and an extremely vivid one at that. He wasn’t sure if he should wake her, not too sure how she’d take being awakened by him in the dead of night on the eve of such an important battle. He couldn’t just leave her like this though. If he did, her cries could attract others just as they had attracted him, and he doubted that this was something she wanted to become common knowledge. Finally, he came to a decision. He’d simply shake her awake and face whatever fury came afterwards. It was better than listening to her agonizing wails for the rest of the night.

He approached her, returning Failnaught to his back as he inched closer to her. He was about to grab her arm to shake her awake when she mumbled something. “No, please.”

Claude tilted his head, leaning in closer to make out the rest of her ramblings. “Please….take me. Leave them alone.”

Them? Interesting. Claude pondered whether or not it would be worth listening to her continue to talk in her sleep, or if he should just wake her. Unfortunately for him, he took one look at the pained expression on her face, and his warm compassion won over his cold logic. Firmly gripping her arm, Claude gave Edelgard a rough shake, a slight grin donning his face.   
“Wakey wakey your majesty. It’s time for your nightly dose of peace of mind.” 

Edelgard bolted upright like she’d been struck by lightning, frantically looking around the room. Claude, realizing that she was still a little out of it, attempted to calm her. 

“Woah, Edelgard calm down. It’s just me Cla-” He was cut off as a fist hit him square in the jaw, knocking him on his ass to the ground below.

“Ah! Damnit Edelgard what the hell!” He was shouting, but not loud enough to wake anyone else. “Why the hell did you go and do that?”

She threw herself up, instantly standing over him in a defensive stance. “No, you answer my questions. Why are you in my tent Claude? What were you trying to do? Poison me? Slit my throat? Has this been your intention the whole time?” She was breathing heavily, her pale skin now a ghostly white. Despite the immense pain in his jaw, Claude still felt bad for her.

Shaking his head, he slowly rose to his feet, being careful not to get punched again. “No Edelgard no. As I said earlier, killing you serves no purpose. Look, you were having a nightmare ok? I figured that you wouldn’t want anyone else hearing your screams of terror, so I woke you up. Could you please not hit me again?”

Edelgard eyed him up and, gradually, her breathing slowed as she dropped her guard. “I swear Claude, if you’re lying, Almyran alliance be damned, I will skewer your head on a pike.”

Claude rubbed his face as he nodded. “Noted. Look, can I just go now? This was obviously a mistake. I don’t know what terrors you were being subjected to, but knowing you, you probably deserved it.” As soon as he said it, he’d knew he’d fucked up. “Edel-”

“Get out.”

With nothing left to say, Claude left, like a dog with his tail between his legs. He didn’t know why he’d acted the way he did, but he supposed he should be relieved. If he could still feel compassion and pity towards someone like Edelgard, it meant he was still human. He had that to take away from all this. Despite that, he couldn’t help but feel guilty over what he’d said. This was puzzling to him, but he chalked it up to him being very tired and in an incredible amount of pain. He’d apologize later. For now, he just wanted to go to sleep.

Edelgard stood alone in her tent, breathing steadily in an attempt to calm herself down. In a way, she was grateful to Claude for waking her. Though the nightmares had been growing less frequent, as the oncoming battle with Rhea approached, she was assaulted by her night terrors at least once a week, sometimes more. They were always about the same thing. Her siblings deaths, dying one by one as they were selected and subjected to some of the most horrendous things imaginable.

She looked down at her shaking hands. They were covered in scars. Some had been cut into her while others were a result of desperately trying to claw her way to freedom. These scars covered the rest of her body as well, climbing up her legs and covering her back, stomach, chest, and lower neck. She was a walking reminder of the worst things humanity had to offer.

She couldn’t blame Claude for what he said. Honestly, if she were in his position, she would have said the same thing. She shouldn’t have hit him. Even in her terrified state, it was easy to see that he meant her no harm. Still, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would apologize to him later, privately as her pride wouldn’t permit her to do it openly. The only thing she could do now was go back to sleep in face of the upcoming battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short(ish) chapter. Ugh, sorry guys. Don't worry, next chapter is longer. I try to keep my word average at around 3000, and it shows in the later chapters (not to mention that MEGA chapter). Anyway, I'm uploading this a little later than usual because I was super busy today. Sorry for making you wait. Remember though, if you ever want the latest about my update schedule, you can always check my Twitter. Anyway, thanks for reading till the end. Stay safe and see you all next Friday.


	4. Lady of Deceit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Claude and the Immortal Corps in tow, the Imperial Army plans to take the city of Arianrhod. Hatching a scheme, Claude, accompanied by Lysithea, plan to attack from the left. On their way to their positions, Claude and Lysithea rekindle the sibling-like relationship they had at the academy. Not everything goes according to plan, however, as they're soon ambushed.

**_25th of the Guardian Moon, 1185_ **

True to her word, Emperor Edelgard mobilized the Imperial Army and began her siege on Arianrhod. Arriving at the city just as the sun crested the horizon, she signalled for her forces to take their position. Claude, making his way to the west gate, motioned for Lysithea to join him atop his wyvern.

Eyeing the beast with apprehension, the small girl nervously asked, “Are you sure it can handle the both of us?”

Claude chuckled as he pulled the girl up, giving a nod. “Oh yeah she’ll be fine. Trust me, Rajah here could fly us to Almyra and back if she really wanted to. You ready?”

Lysithea gave a nod, and they were off, soaring through the sky. It would take them a few minutes to reach the gate and she couldn’t help but feel awkward. “Um, Claude-”

“I don’t blame you Lysithea.”

Taken aback by his interruption, the girl stuttered. “W-what? You mean you don’t resent me for joining Edelgard?” This had been eating at her for a while now, gnawing at her conscience like a termite. It had never been her intention to abandon her friends, but, after hearing what Edelgard planned to do and why she was doing it, she simply couldn’t refuse. Being with the Emperor just made her feel...nostalgic.

Claude sighed, sounding more broken than he’d intended, quickly covering it up with a smirk. “Of course I don’t blame ya shorty. Edelgard is charismatic, strong, and not a bad leader. I can understand why you’d join her. The Deers and I never blamed you for anything. We just missed our adorable mascot.”

Lysithea fumed. “I wasn’t the mascot. Also, isn’t it about time you stop teasing me about my size? I’ve grown up you know.” She crossed her arms, pouting.

Claude chuckled, surprised at how genuine it was. “You may have gone up a few inches but you’ll always be the baby sister of the Golden Deer. At least, that’s how Teach always saw it.”

At the mention of their departed mentor, the atmosphere grew melancholic. Claude cursed himself and, in a desperate attempt to reclaim what he’d lost, he said the first thing that came to mind. 

“You’re taller than her you know.”

Lysithea looked puzzled, not that Claude could tell seeing as she sat behind him, but a look of sheer confusion was spread across her face. “I’m sorry?”

Claude, seizing his opportunity, continued his tangent. “Edelgard. You’re taller than she is though, it’s hard to tell because of those heels she’s always wearing. If I had to guess, I’d say you’re at least an inch taller than her.”

This was news to Lysithea. She’d never considered the possibility before that she’d be taller than Edelgard, the woman who had acted like a mother hen to the girl ever since she’d joined her and her crusade. A small smirk rose to her face at the thought. “Huh. Looks like she won’t be able to baby me so much anymore.”

The two continued catching up in hushed tones, relaying memories of years since passed, reminiscing about their school days, and discussing their favorite foods. By the time they reached the western gate, the two had rekindled their playful relationship. Claude would tease her about her young appearance, and Lysithea, in response, would pout and threaten to eviscerate him with her Dark Spikes T.

_ “Maybe there is a silver lining to this plan of mine after all,”  _ Claude thought as he and Lysithea took their positions. Then, before either of them could act, a screeching bellow rang out from the fortress in front of them, and a mechanical beast charged the pair and their battalions.

* * *

Edelgard cursed herself for putting trust in Claude as she swung her axe down, slicing a kingdom soldier nearly in two. She had signaled the attack thirty minutes ago with a flaming arrow and, yet, Claude was nowhere to be seen. These thoughts plagued her mind as she raised her paldron to block an incoming arrow. No matter. She didn’t need him to succeed, she only needed his forces. If he didn’t want to help fight, she’d show him just how strong the Black Eagle Strike Force was by defeating the enemy without him.

From her left approaches Lord Rodrigue. He gallops towards her, swinging his sword downward in an effort to decapitate her. Edelgard simply raised her paldron, feeling the blow of the sword reverberate through her arm. She turned to face him when an arm was raised in front of her. Stepping forward, Felix raised his Wo Dao, narrowing his eyes as he met his father’s. Without turning his head, he spoke a simple command.

“Go.”

Edelgard nodded, pressing ahead as the two members of House Fraldarius circled each other, ready to begin their dance of death. Rodrigue dismounted and, raising his sword at Felix, spoke in a biting tone.

“Foolish boy. You have turned your back on home and desecrated your family’s honorable name. Have you no shame?”

Felix shook his head. “Be quiet father. I’m not interested in hearing your ramblings about honor. I refuse to follow the Boar. Instead, I’ll cut my own path,” he raised his blade, taking on a defensive stance, “And I’ll cut down anyone who stands in my way.”

Rodrigue snorted, taking a similar stance. “You speak nonsense. Yet, as your father, it is my duty to correct you. Stand ready Felix, for today you die by my blade.”

Felix grinned wildly. “C’mon then old man. Let’s finally finish this, you and I. Let’s see what’s more important: honor or ideals.”

The two charged each other, the clashing of their blades being lost among the chaos of the battlefield. Bodies littered the ground, Imperial and Kingdom soldiers alike. Some had fallen victim to the fortress’ many spike traps, and the rest had simply killed each other. Screams of hatred and agony rang out from every corner, plaza, and alley as the two sides continued to kill each other for their leaders.

Edelgard continued to push forward with a small group of soldiers. She cut down anyone in her path and, at this point, her crimson armor was soaked in blood. She had just finished dispatching a knight, and was about to continue forward, when a body slammed into her from the right, sending her and the mass careening to the side.

“Hi honey. Sorry I’m late, I got caught up at the market.”

She immediately recognized the body as Claude, and helped him up. He drew his sword, cutting down approaching soldiers as he briefed Edelgard on their situation.

“We have a problem.”

She rolled her eyes as she slammed Aymr into a helpless Kingdom mage, his gurgling cries dying in his throat. “We seem to have many problems Claude. Which one are you referring to?” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, a bellowing roar ripped through the battlefield as one of the buildings to their right exploded. Where it once stood, now stood a metallic beast, the same one that had somehow managed to ambush Claude and Lysithea earlier. Claude simply pointed at the beast.

“That. I’m referring to that.”

The beast roared once more and Edelgard’s blood ran cold as she watched the mechanical monster completely decimate the soldiers that had been with her. It did this with only one swing of the massive hammer it carried. “It’s a Titanus. I can’t believe it. I didn’t think Cornelia would actually unleash th-”

She was interrupted as another roar bellowed out from their left, the eastern side of the battlefield, followed by screams of terror and agony. This worried her. With enough manpower, they could easily beat a Titanus,but two? This had gone from bad to worse.

A hand on her shoulder broke her from her worries. Turning, she saw that it was only Claude. He flashed a grin and pointed towards the beast. “Focus now, worry later. I have a plan but I’m going to need your help. Do you trust me?”

“No, but I don’t have much of a choice. What did you have in mind.”

After a moment of conferring, the pair nodded to one another and broke into a charge towards the beast. Claude, getting there first, dropped to the ground, sliding beneath the beast’s legs. In a fraction of a second, he came to his feet, pivoted, and stabbed the beast in the back. It wasn’t very effective, but it served its purpose. The Titanus, feeling the pain from its back, turned to face and exterminate the threat. This gave Edelgard the opening she needed to bring her axe upwards, slamming it into the beast’s side with a cry of fury.

The beast staggered, but it didn’t fall. Instead, it ignored Edelgard completely, focusing in on Claude. It brought its massive hammer up, intent on smashing the man into a bloody pulp. Claude, who had been knocked off his feet when the beast staggered, could only look on in fear as his demise fast approached.

Well, shit,” was all he managed to say before, with a roar, the Titanus brought its hammer down. Closing his eyes, Claude felt himself be pulled back roughly and slammed into something. The sound of splintering metal screamed in his ear. Is this what death was like?

“Claude, get up.” 

Confused, he opened his eyes. Standing above him with a massive crack in her paldron, stood Edelgard. Realization dawned on him then and there. She had pulled him back, taking the brunt of the blow with her paldron, sending the pair flying back into a wall. Claude looked at her arm. It was horrendously broken, fractured in at least three places. He was almost impressed. Despite the massive pain she must be in, Edelgard still stood strong, staring the beast down with a fiery determination. It seemed only fair that he did the same.

“New plan. We’re gonna take that thing down in one go. You with me?”

Discarding her paldron, her left arm hanging limp at her side, she nodded. She was panting, clearly fatigued and in immense pain. All these things ran through Claude’s mind as his plan came together in his head. They had to finish this quickly.

Acting in unison, the pair charged the giant, Claude racing ahead to draw the thing’s attention. Seeing him as the primary threat, the Titanus raised its hammer once more, and brought it down. This time, Claude jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being squashed. Now completely defenseless, the beast staggered backwards as Edelgard slammed Aymr into the mechanical creature, causing chunks of it to go flying. Still, it did not fall.

Expecting this, Claude shouted at Edelgard as he ran towards her. “Edelgard! Give me a boost!” He drew Falinaught and, seeing that Edelgard had raised Aymr above her head, jumped off the blade of the axe.

Even with only one arm, Edelgard was able to send Claude six feet into the air. Seizing his opportunity, Claude pulled back Failnaught, an arrow of pure energy appearing in the bow.

“Hey Ugly!” His cry attracted the beast’s attention, and he released the arrow, hitting the creature right where its brain would be. 

Falling to the ground, Claude watched as the beast staggered backwards, its limb seeming to lock up. Finally, the light from its body faded, the creature falling to the ground lifeless. Panting, he went to help Edelgard up.

“C’mon. Let’s get you to Lysithea so she can fix up that arm of yours.” He attempted to shoulder some of her weight, but she pushed him away, shaking her head.

“There’s no time. I need you to rejoin Lysithea and assist the eastern group in taking down their Titanus. I’ll take down Cornelia myself.”

Claude looked at her incredulously. “Are you an idiot?” His words shocked even himself. “It’s suicide to go after her alone. At least let me come with you. We’ll stand a better chance together.”

Again, Edelgard shook her head. “Yet we stand no chance at all if that,” she pointed towards the direction of the other Titanus, “Thing kills the rest of our forces before we can manage to take it down. Listen Claude, I am ordering you to rejoin Lysithea, take your battalion, and assist Hubert and Ferdinand. Understood?” 

Her lilac eyes met emerald gems as the pair stared each other down before, after only a moment, Claude hung his head in defeat.

“Fine, but you better not die. Remember, our arrangement only holds value if we both make it through this. Good luck Edelgard.” With that, he was gone, heading off towards the direction of a white wyvern zipping around the battlefield. To her surprise, Edelgard was sorry to see him go.

She shook herself out of the thought. Wandering thoughts were dangerous on the battlefield, especially in her current condition. Fortunately for her, the noise had died down, meaning that the Imperial army had gained the upper hand, and were taking Kingdom soldiers prisoner. This thought gave her the strength she needed to continue forward alone, cutting down anyone standing in her way, not letting something as inconsequential as a broken arm slow her down. She had faced far greater pain in her life.

Reaching the top of the fortress, Edelgard was met with a snide voice.

“Ah Edelgard. So lovely to see you again. How long has it been? Nineteen years? I do hope you’ve been well.”

Edelgard laid her eyes on the source of the voice, a woman with orange hair and unhealthily pale skin, paler than even herself. She stood confidently, as if she was untouchable. Understanding just how truly terrifying this woman was, Edelgard raised Aymr. Cornelia’s false grin instantly turned into a sneer.

“Foolish girl. Do you truly believe you can beat me on your own in your current condition? You must be in a hurry to die. Come then child! If your wish is to meet your death by my hands, I will happily oblige.”

Ignoring her, Edelgard charged the woman. It was predictable, and Cornelia simply jumped out of the way.

“Nosferatu!” Cornelia’s voice was almost demonic as black tendrils appeared around Edelgard, sapping what little strength she had left. Still, she pushed on.

Propelling herself forward, Edelgard swung Aymr in a wide arc, giving Cornelia little room to dodge. The woman, not expecting Edelgard to still be able to move, was caught off guard, jumping back as Aymr sliced into her stomach, just enough to draw blood.

“You impudent worm! How dare you dirty me with your weapon.” Cornelia’s hands glowed red with fire, as she punched Edelgard in the gut, sending the Emperor backwards.

Edelgard struggled to her feet, her vision blurring. Cornelia smiled at this, taking full advantage of the Emperor’s weakness. “Ha, look at you. Struggling to even stand. How dare you think that you could beat me, especially in such a sorry condition. You only have your arrogance to pay for your demise. Thoron!”

Lightning exploded from Cornelia’s palms, heading straight towards Edelgard. In a last ditch effort, the Emperor rolled to the side, nearly avoiding getting electrocuted, and charged Cornelia, activating her Crest of Flames and Crest of Seiros simultaneously to give her the strength necessary to cleave the woman in two. Bringing Aymr up, Edelgard leapt into the air, bringing Aymr down. Cornelia, seeing this, instinctively raised her arms up to defend herself, as she attempted to move out of the way. As Aymr hit its target a scream rang out through the air.

Edelgard fell to her knees, breathing heavily. She no longer had the strength to continue. Five feet away from her, Cornelia rose to her feet, clutching the stump that used to be her right arm.

“You bitch. Even after all that, you still couldn’t finish me off. What use are these gifts we’ve given you if you can’t even use them properly? Oh well. We’ll find another test subject. This time, one more loyal to the cause. So you stupid girl, any last words?”

Edelgard said nothing, using all her strength to keep from collapsing to the ground as she clutched Aymr, panting. Truth be told, she was disappointed in herself. Cornelia was right. Her arrogance had caused this. If she’d allowed Claude to accompany her, this may have turned out differently. Claude. Edelgard smirked as she hung her head in defeat. She only hoped that Claude had meant what he’d said on the bridge that day, and that he’d continue the fight in her stead.

Cornelia smirked at the girl’s surrender. “No? Well, that’s a little underwhelming. Still. I suppose that is to be expected when it comes to you. After all, you’ve always been a disappointment. Say goodbye you stupid child.” Her hand started crackling with lightning as Edelgard closed her eyes. The end had come and she hadn’t even gone halfway.

A bloodcurdling scream rang throughout the battlefield only, it didn't belong to Edelgard. Opening her eyes, she saw Cornelia, white as a sheet, with an arrow composed of red energy protruding from her chest. She looked at someone behind Edelgard and gurgled out the words, “W-who are y-y-you?” before falling over, dead.

Feeling herself be lifted off the ground, she looked up at her savior. “C-Claude?” She couldn’t be sure, but the man certainly looked like the Almyran king. When he looked at her, Edelgard knew it was him. The last things she remembered before passing out were his cold, dead emerald eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kept you waiting huh? Well guys, it's official. I'm back in business! So this chapter came out one week later than I intended, so allow me to explain that. I like to stay five chapters ahead of what I'm posting. So, since this is chapter 4, I've written through chapter 9. I do this so that, by the time the story ends, I can immediately start working on something else. Don't worry though, this story isn't ending anytime soon. Anyway, thank you all so much for sticking with me through these past few weeks. I really appreciate it. My update schedule should be back to normal now, though I may move to posting one chapter every two weeks because I want to lengthen future chapters to at least 7000 words. I haven't decided if that's what I'll be doing yet, but I'll be sure to let you guys know. Feel free to voice your opinions as well. Your feedback is incredibly helpful. Welp, that's all I have to say. See you guys next week!


	5. Some Much Needed Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After it was revealed that Edelgard possessed the Crest of Flames, Claude begins to suspect the worst. He falls back into his cycle of paranoia and distrust and receives counsel from Lysithea. Thanks to her words, he comes to the brilliant conclusion that he doesn't have to be miserable if he doesn't want to be.

**_3rd of the Pegasus Moon, 1185_ **

When Edelgard awoke, she was in the medical bay at Garreg Mach Monastery. Opening her eyes, she found that focusing was difficult. At first, all she could make out were fuzzy shapes, but, gradually, her vision came back to her with the rest of her senses. It seemed she only had two visitors, or, at least, that was all Hubert was allowing.

Speaking of Hubert, he was one of the fuzzy shapes standing beside her sick bed. The second shape, to her surprise, was Claude. Both men stood with their arms crossed, the only difference being that, while Hubert was clearly anxious, Claude seemed completely indifferent to the entire situation. She decided it was time to make her presence known, and did so by addressing Hubert.

“Hubert, what’s the status of Arianrhod?”

Stiffening with shock, Hubert quickly composed himself and replied. “Welcome back your majesty. We have successfully captured the Silver Maiden, giving us a foothold in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. It is only a matter of time before your vision is realized your grace.”

Edelgard did her best to give Hubert a curt nod, only to find that most of her movements were restricted. It was at this point when Claude decided to speak up.

“The healers did as much as they could, but you were incredibly injured.” His voice was dead, his emerald eyes dull. “They cast some sort of binding spell on you to ensure that you wouldn’t try to get up and leave as soon as you woke up. I see now that their caution was not in vain. The spell should wear off in a few minutes. Before that happens though,” his eyes narrowed, “We need to talk. Leave us Hubert.”

The dark man didn’t move an inch. “You overstep your boundaries Claude. I answer only to Lady Edelgard. Even if your marriage wasn’t driven by politics, you’d still have no power over me. I think it is you who should lea-”

“It’s alright Hubert. Leave us.”

Both men looked to Edelgard, Hubert with surprise, and Claude with mild amusement.

Grasping for words, Hubert finally bowed with a, “As you wish Lady Edelgard,” before leaving the Emperor alone with the Almyran king. Before crossing the threshold of the medical bay, he shot Claude a glare that could probably kill a normal man, and was gone.

Edelgard, still in pain from the battle, looked to Claude with tired eyes. “What is it you wished to discuss, Claude? If it’s about how you saved my life, I am grateful to you. I am aware how easy it would’ve been to just watch me die.”

Claude said nothing, causing Edelgard to wonder if he really had anything to say at all. Finally, the man spoke, his voice shaky, as he uttered a simple line. “I saw Edelgard. I saw what you did.”

Puzzled at first, realization dawned on the bedridden Emperor like a ton of granite. “Claude, it’s not what you th-”

“Why do you have that crest Edelgard?” His voice remained a constant volume though his tone was miserable. “Why do you have  _ her  _ crest Edelgard? Why do you bear the Crest of Flames? Did you somehow find Teach’s body, and rip the crest stone from her chest?”

Edelgard shook her head vehemently, appalled by the fact that Claude thought she would ever do such a thing. “Claude I would never. I cared about her just as much as-” the weight of what Claude had just said finally hit her, “Wait. What do you mean the crest stone in her chest?”

Instead of looking caught, Claude simply deadpanned, repeating his question. “Edelgard, why do you bear the Crest of Flames?

Edelgard, now realizing that Claude was desperately trying to find closure, something she herself had given up on long ago, made a choice that would change the course of history. She decided to trust the broken man standing in front of her.

“Claude, take off my gloves. Don’t ask questions, just do it.”

Nodding, Claude moved towards her, as Edelgard held her hands straight. Gently, he pulled the gloves off her fingers, reacting with a horrified grimace as the extensive scarring was revealed.

“Edelgard, what is this? Why are your hands-” without thinking, he grabbed one of her hands, examining it, trying to see a pattern in the scarring, only for Edelgard to immediately pull away. Claude seemed stunned for a moment, before speaking up. “Ah. Sorry. I just, I knew the fingernail thing was a lie. What happened to you?”

No longer having the strength to deny his questions, Edelgard answered truthfully. “Claude, I was not born with the Crest of Flames. I was also not an only child as my uncle would have you believe. Instead, when I was very young the prime minister rounded up my siblings and myself, handing us over to my Uncle Arundel. As you’ve probably guessed, my uncle was an Agarthan.”

She took a shaky breath, closing her eyes as the horrible memories came flooding back to her all at once. “They took us to an awful place Claude. It was cold and dark and void of any signs of life. They experimented on us, performing the worst acts imaginable in an attempt to create the perfect vessel, someone who would lead the world, rebuilding it in the Agarthan image. One by one, my siblings died until,” she squeezed her eyes shut even harder. It was taking everything she had not to cry, “Until it was only me. I was the only survivor.”

Opening her eyes, she could see a horrified expression resting on Claude’s face. Exhaling, she continued. “As a result, I now bear two crests in exchange for precious years off my life. That’s why I started this war Claude. I don’t have the luxury of time. I can’t just sit around and wait for change to happen.” Turning away from him, “I’d be long dead before the world I’m trying to create came to be.”

Claude was silent, the pieces finally clicking in his head. Cogs turned as he finally understood what Edelgard had been through, finally understood her hatred for the Agarthans, and why she had chosen to work with them anyway. After all of that, all he could manage was, “Edelgard, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t your father do anything.”

Shaking her head, she explained. “Oh he tried. Each and every day he mourned for us. Unfortunately, by that point, he was only a figurehead. The prime minister and other nobles of the Empire had usurped him, making him a prisoner in his own castle. Now, you understand Schemer. Now, you have all the pieces.”

He nodded, his mind still running circles around the room. “I may understand, but that doesn’t mean I agree with your methods. Still,” he shrugged, some life returning to his eyes, “I now understand why you had to do it. It makes not hating you a little easier.”

To his surprise, Edelgard actually chuckled. “Well now, I’m glad I was able to change your opinion of me, even if it was only a little bit. Claude.” She sighed his name, her voice weak.

“Hmm?” He looked into her lilac eyes, not used to seeing Edelgard look so vulnerable. It was almost...cute? That thought shouldn’t exist. “What is it?”

“Thank you for saving my life earlier. If not for your assistance, the Empire would’ve never been able to capture Arianrhod. For that, I owe you a great deal.”

Claude’s smile faded instantly. “Yeah, Edelgard, about that. Hubert lied to you earlier. After the battle, your Uncle Arundel approached us, spouting some nonsense about how we would pay for our transgressions against his people.”

Edelgard’s brief moment of enjoyment was shattered. “What came of his visit?” When Claude looked away, she pressed the issue further. “Claude, what happened to Arinarhod?”

“It’s gone, Edelgard, wiped from the face of Fodlan. Shortly after Arundel left, these javelins of light fell from the sky, vaporizing the city in a matter of seconds. Hubert and I resolved not to tell you because we, well, he thought excess stress would worsen your condition. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.”

Shaking her head, Edelgard waved his guilt away. “Nonsense. I appreciate your concern for my condition. Honestly, I should’ve foreseen this. They’re showing me what happens when I step out of line.”

This elicited a chuckle from Claude, much to Edelgard’s chagrin. “Yeah, well, they better get used to it because you’re going to be stepping out of line a lot more.”

Edelgard smiled, the fatigue finally getting to her. “Claude, while I have, to my surprise, enjoyed our chat, I grow tired. Please, leave me so I may rest.”

Claude nodded, turning on his heel and leaving the medical bay. Waiting outside, leaning against the door frame, was Lysithea. Claude motioned for her to follow him, and the pair began the trek back to their rooms.

“How is she?” Lysithea finally spoke up, and Claude could tell that this question had been burning in the back of her throat since Arianrhod. Not one to keep a lady waiting, Claude replied in stride.

“She’s fine. A little banged up, but Lindhart estimates she’ll make a full recovery by the end of the week. I swear Lysithea, he said it while snoring. Is there anything that guy can’t sleep through?” Claude was attempting to lighten Lysithea’s mood. He knew that she and Edelgard were close, and how bad she must feel for not being able to do anything to help someone she cared about. After all, he’d been feeling that way for the past five years.

His jest had its desired effect as Lysithea found herself smiling. She turned to Claude, as if to reply, but was caught off guard when the man wrapped her in a hug. Surprised, she stammered out, “W-w-what?”

“Why didn’t you tell me Lysithea?” Claude released her, keeping a hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about your crests? I’m sure I could’ve helped you. We could’ve helped you.”

Lysithea hung her head before looking to Claude. The man in front of her was much different from the mischievous boy she had known those five years prior. Not only had he changed physically, but Lysithea could see the toll the years had taken from him. His emerald eyes, once aglow with his great aspirations, whatever they may have been, were now dimmed, just bright enough to let someone know he was alive. She remembered how he used to wear a fake smile like it was plastered to his face, and now he hardly smiled at all. It seems, out of everyone, he took losing the professor the hardest.

“I didn’t want anyone to think I was a bother-,” She stopped for a moment, pressing her index fingers together, “-I take it Edelgard filled you in on how we came to possess two crests?”

Claude nodded, not wishing to dredge up any unwanted memories. “Lysithea, none of us would’ve thought you were a bother. We would’ve done everything in our power to help you. I just wish-,” he took a shaky breath in before continuing, “-I just wished you had trusted us enough to let us know. Still,” he released her and found himself looking at the night sky, “I can’t exactly blame you. I am the literal King of Distrust after all.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as the pair resumed their walk.

“I trusted you Claude. You may have gotten on my nerves, but I always thought of you as my friend. I didn’t tell anyone because,” she found herself struggling to put the words together, “You all had so many dreams, and I didn’t want to get in the way. That’s one of the reasons I joined Edelgard. Her dream just happens to be in line with mine.”

Claude inhaled sharply. “I understand. I’m sorry we didn’t make time for you Lysithea. I swear, if I had known, I would’ve-” the words died in his throat. He would’ve what? He honestly didn’t know.

The two continued their walk in silence, and arrived at the dorms. Lysithea stopped in front of one of the doors, saying goodnight to Claude with a joke of her own. Imitating a bow, she leaned down, came back up, and said, “Goodnight your majesty.”

She had to bite back the urge to explode into laughter as Claude looked like he was about to puke. Shaking his head vehemently, he shook his finger at her, a thin smile on his face. “Don’t ever do that again. That’s evil. You’re evil Lysithe-” suddenly, a massive smile spread across his face as he took a good look at the door Lysithea had stopped in front of. “Hey. Isn’t this Felix’s old room?” He stretched out the name, rolling it off his tongue like sand.

Lysithea’s face exploded into a burst of red and she sputtered, trying desperately to think of anything that could convince Claude otherwise, however all her hopes of escaping this situation with minimal embarrassment were immediately dashed as the door opened behind her. 

“Lysithea, is that yo- Oh. Good evening Claude.” Felix stood shirtless in the doorway, giving Claude a good view of several of his battle scars. “Did you need something?”

This was puzzling. Felix was rarely ever in such a good mood, but Claude figured he knew why. Speaking of which, Lysithea had all but shut down at this point, the redness of her face being greatly accented by her stark white hair. Claude chuckled as he shook his head. “No Felix, not yet. Could you give us a moment though?”

The blue-haired man nodded curtly to the false king before shutting the door. Claude looked to Lysithea, raising an eyebrow. “Felix huh? You know, I always thought you’d go for the scholarly ty-”

“Cake recipes!” Lysithea finally managed to blurt out, the burst of sound startling Claude. “We were exchanging cake recipes. That’s all it was. Ok? Enough you can go now. Thank you very much, goodbye.” She began pushing Claude away. In response, Claude went limp and fell backwards, causing the two of them to go crashing to the floor.

Laughing as he helped Lysithea up, Claude rubbed the back of his head with a sly grin. “Cake recipes. Sure. Anyway, I’ll let the two of you get back to your ‘baking’. Goodnight.”

He turned to leave, beginning the walk to where Hubert had set him up for the time being. Before he got very far though, Lysithea’s voice called out from behind him.

“H-hey Claude?”

The schemer turned back around, slightly perplexed, but still in a good mood. “Yes?”

Lysithea meandered for a moment before getting on with it. “Could I offer you some advice?”

Claude shrugged. “Shoot.”

Lysithea, annoyed at how casual he was being, ignored the flat response and continued. “Look, I know you didn’t marry Edelgard out of love or anything but,” she trailed off, causing Claude to look at her in anticipation. Another moment passed, and she continued, “Maybe, for both your sakes, you should try and get along. You’re so lonely Claude. You have me and you’ll always have me, but, if you’re set on this path, it couldn’t hurt to have someone else.”

Claude stood still for a moment, a little disappointed at how easily Lysithea had seen through his facade. Then again, his act wasn’t as strict as it once was. What point was there? His secret was out. Everyone knew who he was now.

Nodding to Lysithea, he broke the silence with a simple, “I’ll consider it. Goodnight Lysithea.” He took his leave, making his way to the last room at the end of the long hall.

* * *

Claude tossed and turned on his bed, finding himself unable to sleep. Lysithea’s advice from earlier clung to him like a wet shirt as he ran through it over and over again in his mind. He had to admit, the girl had a point: he was alone, and he did need someone other than her to keep him company. Still, for that person to be Edelgard was almost unthinkable. Almost.

Claude remembered back to the siege of Arianrhod. Edelgard had thanked him for saving her life, but, truth be told, Claude was only returning the favor. He recalled how Edelgard had pulled him out of harm’s way, crippling her arm in the process. She didn’t have to do that, and, yet, she did. Claude’s thoughts were a whirlwind as he recalled every detail of their time together, and, in all of it, she had never been cruel. Sure she had been cold from time to time, but so had he.

The more he thought about it, the more sense Lysithea’s words seemed to make. Edelgard wouldn’t be a bad ally to have, especially after this war was over. With her leading Fodlan, he might finally be able to bridge the gap between their two nations. With her…

Claude rose from his bed, unable to sleep. It wasn’t like he wanted to anyway. He knew what awaited him beyond the thin veil of consciousness, and he wasn’t quite ready to face it again, to face her again. Instead, he walked over to his vanity, examining himself in the mirror. By Sothis he looked like shit.

Resolving to fix his appearance later, Lysithea’s words came to mind once more. Chuckling, he shook his head at his situation. He was supposed to be the “big brother”, so to speak, of the relationship, and yet here she was, giving him advice. The world could be funny sometimes.

He went over to his window and peered up at the sky, his mind wandering to Edelgard. He wondered how she was sleeping.  _ “I don’t know what terrors you were being subjected to, but knowing you, you probably deserved it.” _ His own words shocked him, the memory coming back to haunt him as he was awash with guilt. He knew he’d overstepped in that instant, but it gave him such dark satisfaction in the moment. Now, however, he just felt like an ass.

Sighing, knowing his mind would find no peace tonight, he reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling a worn, leather-bound book from it. He thumbed through the pages, being struck with a wave of nostalgia. Throwing on a pair of trousers and a night shirt, he left his lonely room and made his way towards the medical bay.

The grass beneath his feet was wet as he journeyed to the medical bay, slipping through the night without making a sound. Not even Hubert, despite his impressive shadow-like visage, could move as quietly as Claude currently was. Slipping through the hallways and up a flight of stairs, Claude finally arrived at the medical bay.

There, on the bed, was Edelgard. Claude knew right away that she was trapped in another nightmare, confirming the justification for his visit. Edelgard’s complexion was pale, even for her, and sweat soaked her brow. Her expression was contorted and her mouth was moving, speaking a conversation that only she could hear, though Claude now knew that she was begging for the lives of her siblings.

Claude quietly pulled up a chair, and took a seat. Slowly, keeping his distance just in case she was feeling handsy, he shook her arm. Edelgard’s eyes shot open and she bolted upright, looking around the room in a panicked frenzy. When she laid her eyes on him, Claude giving her a little wave when they finally did, her posture relaxed.

“Claude. What are you doing here, so late at night?” She saw the object tucked under his arm, her questioning glare turning to amusement. “Is that a...book? Claude,” her tone was mocking, though, in a friendly way as a small smile rose to her face, “Have you come to read me a story?”

Claude chuckled, glad she hadn’t punched him this time. Nodding, he replied, “You could say that. After all, I can’t just leave my wife alone with her night terrors now can I?”

Edelgard cocked her head. This was the first time he had referred to their relationship without an ounce of sarcasm. It was odd but she couldn’t deny the warmth she felt at the term. It was as if the unfriendly atmosphere between them was starting to dissipate. 

She chuckled, a tired, raspy sound. “Claude, while I appreciate the thought, I’m no longer a child. I don’t need you to take care of me. Hubert tries to do that too much already.”

At the mention of her anal retainer, they both chuckled, Claude breaking the spell with his words. “Edelgard, listen. I have something I need to tell you, and it’d mean a lot to me if you could listen. Would that be alright?”

Edelgard observed him. There wasn’t an ounce of dishonesty on Claude’s face. Instead he looked sad, mournful even. Without saying a word, she nodded, signalling to him that he already had her full attention.

Claude sighed as he began. “Thanks. Look, these past five years have not been kind to me. Well, anyone really, but especially me, or so I’ve been told.” He laughed at his own expense before continuing, “And, for the longest time, I blamed you. I thought you had taken everything from me. My friends, my future, and,” he paused, taking a shaky breath, “My teacher.”

“The day she went over that cliff was the worst day of my life. I felt like such a failure ,Edelgard. I hadn’t been able to stop you, to save her. I suppose that’s where the hatred started. My own inability to act.”

Edelgard, feeling understandably guilty, interjected. “Claude it wasn’t your fault. If anyone is to blame it’s...me.”

Claude held up his hand, a sad smile on his face. “I’ll get to that in a moment. Despite watching her...fall, I never lost faith in her. I just knew that she would return one day. She had to. There was no way a simple fall would do her in. After all, this was the woman who had survived a supposed void of nothingness.” His voice trailed off and Edelgard could see how much pain he was in. This was probably the first time he’d ever told anyone this. For him to share this with her of all people, it seemed almost cruel.

“Yet, she never came back, and, one day, I knew she was never going to. That was the day I decided to marry you, or at least, propose to you.” He chuckled, masking his true feelings on instinct, though, on Edelgard, it was useless. “It was all I could think to do. I had no plan, no hope, only an empty throne waiting for me in a country I longed to go back to, but at the cost of leaving the one I loved. So, I made a plan. And it worked.” He held up his hand, showing off the simple wedding band he bore on his ring finger.

“I know these past few weeks have been rough on both of us. We hated each other. Well, I hated you. Getting to know you though has been so...refreshing. I feel like I finally understand things now. Everything makes a little bit more sense and-,” he gazed into her eyes, lilac clashing with emerald, “-I forgive you for the death of Byleth, and I think it’s about time you forgave yourself. I know now that, even though you two were enemies on that fateful day, you still cared about her. That’s where this comes in.” He took the book from the crook of his arm, giving it a slight shake.

Edelgard, now swirling with emotion, strengthened her resolve. “What is it? Some story about a knight who shares similar qualities with our teacher?” At the word “our”, Claude’s face softened, and Edelgard wondered if she’d overstepped. How silly of her. She was the Emperor for heaven’s sake. People should worry about overstepping her, and yet, she found herself not wanting to make Claude feel worse than he already did.

To her relief, Claude simply shook his head with a smile. “No, but you’re close. This is Jeralt’s diary. I thought you might like to read it together. Or by yourself at least. I’ve already read it hundreds of times.”

Edelgard broke. Her eyes began to water as she gently reached out towards the book, Claude placing it in her hands without protest. She thumbed through the pages, skimming through the departed knight’s monologuing before shutting it, looking to Claude. 

“I never expected Jeralt, the legendary blade breaker, to have such pristine handwriting.”

A moment of silence passed before, ever so slowly, soft laughter began to leak from Claude’s lips, turning into a steady stream. Edelgard, amazed at how happy he seemed, couldn’t resist joining in. The two were laughing quietly to themselves like a pair of idiots for a good while before slowing down.

Wiping her eyes, Edelgard handed the book back to Claude. “Claude, where on earth did you get this?”

Claude averted his gaze for a moment before returning it to Edelgard. “Teach let me borrow it after Jeralt passed. I asked and she obliged. Truth be told though, I would’ve probably stolen it if she’d refused.” He grinned sheepishly, the smile still not reaching his eyes.

Edelgard rolled her eyes in exaggerated exasperation. “Of course you would have. That sounds very much like you. Still, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this opportunity. Thank you Claude.”

The man nodded, gently setting the diary on Edelgard’s lap, careful not to cause her any pain. “No problem. I figured it was about time we buried the hatchet anyway.” He went to leave before stopping at the threshold of the sick bay. “Oh and Edelgard.”

She looked up at him, the diary already open. “Hmm?”

He winked at her, an odd gesture for sure. “Thanks for listening. It means a lot. Also I’m sorry for what I said before, about you deserving those terrors. I was wrong. I wouldn’t wish those on my worst enemy, something you most certainly are not, at least, not anymore. Anyway, goodnight.”

He left, leaving Edelgard alone. After a moment of contemplating his words, she suddenly cried out.

“Claude!”

It was almost adorable at how fast he came running, looking ready for a fight. Upon seeing that it was still just Edelgard, he relaxed. He cocked his head to the left, puzzled at the sudden beckoning.

Edelgard cleared her throat, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. “I’ve reconsidered. I would greatly appreciate it if you read this to me.”

It took Claude a moment to process that. “Oh? Oh!” He hastily sat back down, accepting the diary from Edelgard. “Never too old for stories then your majesty?”

Edelgard turned her head and Claude was amazed at how similar she was to Lysithea in that regard. They both hated being treated like a child. In Lysithea’s case, it was cute, but in Edelgard’s, well, Claude wasn’t sure what he thought it was. He just knew that it wasn’t a side of her he minded seeing. It was good to know that she also had vulnerabilities. 

Claude opened the diary, Edelgard’s gaze returning to him as he began to read excerpt after excerpt. “Verdant Moon, 1159-” He trailed off into the night, reading page after page as Edelgard listened with vested interest.

Together, they experienced Jeralt’s happiest memories, such as meeting and marrying Sitri, or the birth of his child, and his saddest, like the day Sitri died of childbirth, alone and without him, or the day when he had to return to the academy. Together Claude and Edelgard shared the knight’s troubles, joys, annoyances, and pride. They were even able to laugh at a few entries, such as the one where Jeralt threatened to castrate Sylvain if he didn’t stay away from Byleth.

They spent the night taking turns reading from the diary. When they had finished, they revisited some of their favorite entries, discussing Jeralt’s habits, and other such things. By the time the sun crested above the mountains surrounding the monastery, Claude and Edelgard had fallen asleep. Edelgard was sleeping peacefully, free from her demons, while Claude was slumped over in his chair, the diary somehow resting on his face. The only person who saw them like this was Bernadetta. She admired the cuteness of it, before getting scared and running off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, back on schedule. I did some thinking, and I think I can manage one chapter per week even after lengthening them, as long as I'm able to schedule myself. That being said, I will be taking next week off as it is Edelclaude week. During that week, I'll be posting in a new work that I'm going to create soon. Each chapter will be short, maybe around 2000 words, but I think it'll be fun. I'm still not sure whether or not I'm going to do every day, but I am going to do some of them. With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you guys in two weeks.


	6. Explore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Claude decides to stop being miserable and explore his familiar surroundings and get acquainted with his new allies.

**_27th of the Pegasus Moon, 1135_ **

During the following days, Claude and Edelgard could be seen spending more and more time together. This increase in quality time was mostly noticed by Hubert. Of course, they didn’t spend every waking moment with each other, but they met up at least two or three times a day, if time permitted, to discuss the war effort, formulate battle plans, or, on the rare occasion, have tea together. Despite their newfound camaraderie, the pair had their fair share of responsibilities. In the time they didn’t spend together, they were swamped by their duties.

Edelgard spent most of her time locked in the monastery’s meeting room with Hubert, discussing the upcoming march on Fhirdiad and the battle with Dimitri, while Claude was left to his own devices. Whenever he wasn’t defending the monastery from Kingdom sieges, he was keeping the Almyrans in check, making sure that relations between his men and the Imperial Army remained amicable. To his pleasant surprise, the Almyran and Imperial forces seemed to be getting along quite well despite the initial strife. There was the occasional drunken brawl, but it was usually laughed off the following morning. 

It gave Claude hope for the future to see such relations. Still, the majority of the Almyran Army had yet to show up, and Claude could only hope that things didn’t go up in smoke when they did. Nader may be loyal to him, but Claude was well aware that most Almyrans viewed him as a disgrace. Not only was he half Fodlan, but he had also taken a Fodlan woman as his wife albeit for political gain. Still, he was hopeful. He had proven his strength to the country by defeating his father in combat and ascending the throne, yet he wouldn’t be surprised if there were those who sought his removal. Much like with Edelgard, it would take time before the people of Almyra accepted him fully.

Nagging worries aside, today, Claude found himself with nothing to do. His first thought was to visit Edelgard, as he always enjoyed a good conversation. He decided against it though, as she would most likely be busy until later this evening. He would visit her then, and they could both relax with a nice, long intellectual discussion. His second thought was to schedule a mock battle between his Immortal Corps and a small Imperial battalion. Such “games” could serve as a way to strengthen relations and keep both armies in shape. Ultimately, he decided against that as well. They had just held off a small army of monsters north of the monastery, and he wouldn’t want the troops tired in case they were to be suddenly attacked again. Damn things were popping up like fruit flies nowadays. Edelgard had informed him that the Agarthans were responsible. This concerned him. What would there be for them to rule if they allowed their beasts to ravage the land? Did they just wish to destroy Fodlan altogether?

With nothing better to do and not wanting to be alone with his thoughts, Claude decided that his time would be better spent exploring the monastery. After all, he hadn’t seen it in nearly five years. Getting dressed, he left his room, and made his way down the hallway, smirking as he passed Felix’s room. Cake recipes huh? Making his way down the lengthy flight of stairs, he stepped outside, greeted by a gust of cool wind. Claude reveled in it, enjoying the light kiss of air on his skin.

His first stop was the greenhouse. He had some seeds from Almyra that he wanted to plant. Some were necessary components for poisons he was brewing up, and others were just pretty flowers, grown for his own enjoyment. He talked to and paid the greenhouse keeper, arranging for the flowers to be properly fertilized and tended to. He figured that the magical environment of the monastery garden would allow the flowers to take root.

Finishing up his business, Claude turned to leave the greenhouse when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of lavender. Turning around, he met with a pair of terrified-looking lavender eyes. There, in the corner, was a girl desperately trying to disappear.

“Hello, Bernadetta. Are you having a good morning?” Claude asked tentatively, having never actually talked to the girl before.

“Eep! I didn’t see anything! I won’t tell anyone what I saw! Please don’t hurt me!” Her pleas were ear piercing, her sudden outburst catching Claude completely off guard.

“But, if you didn’t see anyth-,” he stopped, spreading his hands in front of his face, “nevermind. Look, I’m not going to hurt you. Here,” he motioned to the flora surrounding them, “Do you enjoy gardening as well?”

The girl’s eyes immediately flashed with suspicion. “Why do you want to know huh? Are you trying to cozy up to me to make me spill my deepest secrets? Well too bad! I’ll never tell you anything!” The burst of defiance quickly faded. “Oh g-gosh. I-I’m sorry! Gah!”

She burst through the greenhouse doors, sprinting away through the monastery, leaving Claude utterly confused as to what had just transpired. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he resolved to visit her later and improve their relationship.  _ “Bring her cake.” _ He snapped his fingers. He would bring her cake. Bernadetta loved cake just as much as Lysi- he stopped mid-thought. How did he know that? He’d never talked to the girl before. He shook himself, dismissing the concern with the explanation that Edelgard had told him at one point.

Shoving the event out of his mind, Claude continued his leisurely stroll, and stopped at the pond, a peaceful construction bordering the greenhouse. He nodded a greeting to the man overseeing the pond, purchased some bait from the man, and grabbed one of the cheap rods that were always leaning on the man’s cart. He bated it, and cast his line, watching as it landed in the water with a slight “plink”. Standing stock-still, Claude waited for something to take the bait, literally. A nibble, then a bite. Claude lowered the rod, allowing the bait to dip lower into the pond. This maneuver pays off as, almost immediately, Claude feels something take his bait, the line sinking deeper and deeper into the pond. He yanked the rod, hard, hooking the fish and causing his line to go taught. Grabbing the line, he began to wrap the thin string around his hand, pulling the fish closer and closer to the pier. With most of the line now coiled around his hand, Claude lifts as hard as he can, an Airmid Pike erupting from the water, thrashing back and forth with all its might.

With a smile on his face, Claude examined the fish, before removing the hook and tossing it back into the pond. He had no need for it, and there was no point in letting it die. He was just happy that he had caught it. He had never been incredibly skilled at fishing, despite spending many of his teenage years in a watery city.

“You know, you can’t cook it if you throw it back. Seems like a waste if you ask me.”

Turning around, Claude comes face to face with a shocking head of orange hair.

“Ah Sylvain, good to see you.” He offered a wave and put the fishing gear away. “I’ve never been partial to fish. No point in cooking it if I’m not going to eat it is there?”

Sylvain rubbed his chin, nodding his head back and forth. “I suppose you’re right. Still, I’m sure you could find someone who’d eat it. I know for a fact that Ingrid wouldn’t complain. That girl might even eat it raw. Watching her eat is truly a spectacle.”

Claude groaned, already regretting this. “Sylvain that’s weird. Now, tell me, what did you actually need me for? While you weren’t in my class, to my surprise actually, I know you well enough to know you never do anything without a reason.”

Sylvain raised his hands in mock defense. “Woah Claude, you’ve got it backward. Don’t get me wrong, your professor was hot, but let’s just say that Edelgard’s views are more in line with my own. Anyway, as to why I’m here,” he produced a chessboard from the satchel he was wearing, “You play, don’t you?”

Claude’s eyes flashed as a sly grin spread itself across his face. Nodding, he replied, “I do indeed play. Think you can handle me, Gautier?”

Sylvain grinned like a fox. “On the contrary, your Royal Highness, I think it is you that will have a hard time keeping up with me. Meet me in the library after lunch. We’ll settle things then.”

The men nodded to each other, finalizing their arrangement, and heading their separate ways. Claude heads to the market area by the monastery’s main entrance.  _ “Say hello to the Gatekeeper” _ . He nodded. Of course, he would say hello to the Gatekeeper. He always said hello to the Gatek- No...he didn’t. Where were these thoughts coming from? It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Claude to greet people, but why the Gatekeeper specifically? He shrugged. Perhaps he just wanted to give the guy some company. After all, he did just stand there all day. Walking up to the man, Claude offered an awkward wave.

“Hello.”

The man instantly perks up, a pure grin nearly cutting his face in two. “Good morning Claude- er- your highness! Nothing to report!”

Claude chuckled, the initial awkwardness beginning to fade. “Just Claude is fine. Also, I’m glad you have nothing to report. I don’t know if the armies and I could handle another out-of-the-blue attack.”

The Gatekeeper frowned. “Yes, I can understand that sentiment. Unfortunately, if things are taking you by surprise, it means I’m not doing my job well enough.” He perked up a moment later. “Still, that means I can only get better right! Thanks for picking up my slack Claude!”

Claude felt guilty and motivated at the same time. “Ah, no, you’re doing a great job as is. So,” in an effort to change the subject, “What’s your name?” 

The Gatekeeper looked shocked as if this wasn’t a question he got often. This struck Claude as curious. Why wouldn’t you want to know the name of the man watching over you?

“The name’s Porter sir.” He beamed once more with that innocent smile of his.

“Well Porter, it was nice to meet you. Properly I mean. Anyway, I’ve got some errands to attend to, but I’ll stop by every now and again to check up on you. Bye for now.”

The Gatekeeper, Porter, saluted, and Claude went on his way. He stopped at the battalion booth, forking over a heavy ouch of gold in exchange for having the wyverns and horses of his battalions tended to. He also arranged for the men to have access to the bathhouse in the late afternoon. His next stop was a pair of merchants who set up shop in one of the upper corners of the plaza. Talking to one of the merchants, he bought several bags of Almyran Pine Needles and, after thinking for a moment, several bags of a Bergamot blend. It would come in handy. Probably.

Waving goodbye to the merchants, he walked to the mess hall. Funnily enough, he spotted Felix and Lysithea together in the kitchen. Cake recipes indeed. Looking around, he spotted Annette and Mercedes in the corner. He waved to them, receiving a warm smile and wave in return from Annette, and a cautious glance from Mercedes. He walked over to them, a smile plastered to his face.

“Hello, ladies. How are you this morning?” He kept his tone neutral, knowing that not everyone was as tolerable to his presence as Edelgard.

Annette, as enthusiastic as ever, replied energetically. “Hey, Claude! I’m great! Mercedes and I were just waiting for the kitchen to be free so we could bake some sweets. Isn’t that right Merci?” She was nearly jumping up and down with excitement.

“Yes,” Mercedes replied, her sweet smile clashing with her icy tone, “Now since you know what we’re up to, what are you doing Claude?”

He smirked, intrigued by the girl’s caution. “Actually, I have something for you.” He reached into his pockets and produced a piece of parchment covered in neatly scrawled instructions. “Edelgard told me how you two like to make sweets and, since everyone knows I’m Almyran now, there’s no harm in giving you this.”

He handed the piece of paper to Annette, who was so excited that she nearly ripped the paper in half when receiving it. Upon reading it, she squealed with excitement, drawing several pairs of eyes and several light chuckles from both Mercedes and Claude.

“So,’ Mercedes questioned her tone warmer, “I doubt Annette will be done reading it anytime soon. Mind telling me what it is you’ve given us?”

“It’s a recipe.” He smiled, proud of his handiwork. “More specifically, it’s a recipe for a popular Almyran dessert called Ranginak. The main ingredients are nuts so I hope that isn’t an issue.”

Mercedes shook her head as Annette’s eyes increased to the size of large dinner plates. “No, nuts are no problem.” Mercedes beamed at him, the smile now genuine as her indigo eyes gleamed with interest. “Thank you, Claude. We’ll be sure to let you try our first patch. Come on Annette. It seems Felix and Lysithea have just finished.”

Before they walked away, Annette wrapped Claude in a tight hug. “Thank you so much! I’ll make them taste extra good, just for you. Bye Claude!”

She released him and ran after Mercedes, leaving him feeling nice and warm inside. It didn’t last long, however, as it was replaced with sheer confusion. Edelgard never told him that they liked making desserts. He had just woken up one night, written it down, and knew exactly who to give it to. Things were just getting more and more confusing. Still, it wasn’t all bad. He had managed to improve relationships with more people so the knowledge had proved useful, despite its unknown origin.

Leaving the mess hall, he eyed the sun. It was almost time to meet Sylvain at the library. Making his way there, he noticed a tall, foreboding figure. Recognizing it as Jeritza, he decided to walk past the man. As he was about to pass, however, Jeritza extended his arm, blocking Claude’s path. Claude, visibly confused, shot Jeritza a quizzical look.

“Um, hey there tall, dark, and scary. I’ve kinda got places to go so, you know if you could just let me go…” He tried to duck under his arm, but Jeritza just grabbed him.

“The Emperor has a mission for us. Be ready by the first Friday of next month. We leave in the evening, under the cover of darkness.” With that, he released Claude and walked off without another word.

Claude shrugged. Jeritza might actually be a bigger enigma without his mask. Not letting this sudden news deter him, he made his way to the library. Upon spotting Claude, Sylvain whistled at him, waving him over to a table.

“Yo Riegan. Didn’t think you’d actually show. After all, who would willingly attend their own funeral?” He snickered at his poor joke, offering Claude the first move as the Almyran King took his seat.

Claude, shaking his head, turned the chessboard around. “No thanks. I’ll take the second move. Besides, I’m sure it won’t make much difference.” He put on a mask, his usual mask, the smile that never reached his eyes, as Sylvain made his first move.

Immediately, Claude knew that Sylvain was trying to open up with a Queen’s gambit. Not wanting to reveal this, he played along, to a certain extent. Every move Sylvain made, Claude would move a piece to a defensive position. Sylvain, eventually realizing that Claude had caught on, adapted his strategy accordingly. Claude had to admit that Sylvain was an incredibly impressive opponent. The chess game quickly evolved from linear strategies to an elegant dance of intellect.

Claude, playing on the defensive, would counter every one of Sylvain’s moves with a trap. Sylvain, not one to be caught, would sacrifice pieces here and there to dismantle a few of Claude’s traps while laying some of his own. Eventually, Claude had created his magnum opus. There was no piece that Sylvain could take without Claude taking one in return. Sylvain, realizing this, examined the board with scrutiny. Finally, his eyes lit up.

“Ah. I admit you had me on the ropes for a moment Riegan. Still,” he slid his rook to the complete other end of the board, taking Claude’s own rook, “It’s all downhill for you from here. Check.”

Claude chuckled as he slid his queen to the king’s defense, much to Sylvain’s surprise. He didn’t expect Claude to sacrifice his most valuable piece. “Silly Sylvain,” the philanderer raised his eyebrows, “Don’t you know that a queen will always protect her king. And, in doing so,” he snapped his fingers as he spread his arms in a grand gesture, revealing the rest of the board, “she checkmates her opponent.”

Sylvain does a double-take, quickly realizing that Claude had set himself up, willingly putting his king in danger to eliminate Sylvain’s ability to castle. Letting out a whistle, Sylvain slumped in his chair, running a hand through his chair. “Damn Riegan. You’re not bad. You set so many traps within traps, you crafty bastard, that I could hardly move.”

He chuckled, extending his hand. “Good game. Next time, you can go first.”

Claude smiled, a real one this time, as he accepted Sylvain’s gesture, shaking his hand. “Sure, I don’t mind playing on the offensive. Besides, you’re not too bad yourself. There were moments when I wasn’t sure who was trapping who.”

Both men laughed and, after a moment, Sylvain rubbed the back of his head, grinning coyly. “So, tell me Claude, is Edelgard your queen?”

Claude choked on his laughter. Of all the things to come out of the man’s mouth, Claude truly hadn’t expected that. Quickly composing himself, he shook his head. “C’mon Sylvain. You’re smart enough to know that our marriage is political. Edelgard and I are merely acquaintances.”

Sylvain nodded. “Mmmhmm. Acquaintances that spend their overlapping free time together, have tea on occasion, and-”

Claude cut him off. “Ah, you reminded me, I actually have tea with her fairly soon. We’ll be discussing accommodations for the rest of the Almyran Army. I’ll be seeing you, Sylvain.”

After Claude had left the library, Sylvain laughed to himself. “Merely acquaintances my ass.” From two tables over, Lindhart raised his head, shushing Sylvain.

It wasn’t a long walk from the library to the meeting room, only a short jog through a hallway. Reaching the door, he brushed himself off, and examined the tea bags, making sure they hadn’t been punctured. Satisfied with the results of his inspection, he knocked on the door. A tired voice from the other end replied,

“Come in.”

So he did. Opening the door, he saw that Edelgard was examining several maps, each displaying the same area, some maps displaying hills and forests, while the others displayed trade routes. She had one arm on the table, supporting her head with one hand, two fingers on her forehead, and her thumb on her cheek. The pressure from her thumb caused the left side of her face to become smushed. It was adorable. Upon seeing him, she instantly sits up straight, smiling.

“Claude,” she said, cleaning up the papers strewn across the table, organizing them into neat piles, “Is it that time of day again?”

He smiled and moved to help her, stacking the maps into a separate pile, creating a new pile for each type of document. “Yes, Edelgard. It is indeed time for your daily dose of Claude.” He examined the room as the Emperor snorted at his joke. “No Hubert today?”

Edelgard shook her head, taking the papers from Claude and filing them away, shoving them into a desk. “No, not today. He has his own duties to attend to. Did Jeritza inform you about the task I’ve assigned you?”

Claude laughed, eliciting a puzzled look from Edelgard. “You mean Mr. Brood? Yeah but all he told me was,” he put on his best Jeritza impression, making his voice deep and gravelly, “Mission. Friday. Emperor. I. Am. Death.”

He smirked as Edelgard laughed, a sound that had become something he enjoyed hearing. It was a rare occurrence, just like him in a way. Edelgard shook her head, still smiling. “I swear, that man’s social awkwardness will be the death of him. Anyway, I do have a mission for you. I would like you to exterminate a small force of Agarthans. However, due to the size of the force, it will just be you and Jeritza. Will you be alright with that?”

The question hung in the air as he thought about it. Finally, he nodded. “Of course. What am I if not devoted to my Emperor?” He was doing his ‘Hubert’ voice now.

Edelgard smiled. “Cut it out, Claude. Still, thank you. I appreciate your assistance in the matter.”

Claude nodded, furrowing his eyebrows menacingly. “Of course lady Edelgard. Your wish is my command.”

Edelgard snorted, erupting into light laughter, Claude following soon after. The two of them laughed together for a moment before drying their eyes. As a jest, Claude offered his arm to Edelgard.

“Shall we go to tea, my Emperor?” He smirked, but it was quickly replaced with a surprised expression as, to his shock, Edelgard took his arm.

“We shall, my King. I have been waiting ever so patiently for this moment.” She smiled at him, and they stood there for a moment, waiting for Claude to lead her away.

Claude’s brain had stopped working. At this moment, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a while. A funny feeling within his chest. He felt like he was going to puke. A slight blush rose to his cheeks, and he was thankful that his complexion made it harder to notice.

Edelgard, only now realizing the awkward closeness, dropped his arm, turning away, a blush rising to her own cheeks. Unlike Claude, however, her palor made it all too obvious. Struggling for words, she managed to stammer out an explanation.

“W-w-well, I c-couldn’t l-let you have all the fun with all these grand jest-ures.” She composed herself with a pun of her own, her cheeks still slightly rosy. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat, yanking Claude out of his stupor, “let’s go to tea, shall we. I could really use a break.”

He nodded, back into the swing of things. “Y-yes. Of course. Oh, I got you some Bergamot blend. I know you find my tastes slightly bitter.”

Edelgard’s face softened. “Oh Claude, you didn’t have to. Did Hubert tell you my favorite tea?”

The atmosphere was instantly shattered, and Claude was swept up in a whirlwind of confusion. “Uh yes, in fact, he did. He’s been very helpful as of late. I’ll have to find some way to thank him properly.”

Edelgard eyed him with suspicion. “Claude, are you alright. You look pale,” a smirk rose to her face, “And trust me, I should know.”

Claude laughed heartily at her joke, maybe over embellishing it a little. Still, it seemed to do the trick. “I’m fine. I appreciate your concern though. Now, tea time.”

The pair walked out together, casually discussing matters such as potential battalion formations, resource management, the budget, and available accommodations. By the time they got to their tea spot, a nice gazebo overlooking the pond, the two had already discussed all the war-related subjects. With their time now free, the pair discussed their personal beliefs, dreams, and hopes for the future.

* * *

Claude tossed and turned in his bed, muttering in his sleep. He had been turning so violently that his blankets had long since been thrown to the floor. He was drenched in sweat and his face was contorted in a pained expression. For once, he was the one having a nightmare.

Inside his mind, Claude was being subjected to the worst terror imaginable: the death of his friend, his teacher. He was reliving that day. The skies were red, the banner of the Adrestian Empire on the horizon, smoke rising in the distance. He grabbed a bow off a weapon rack and ran towards the oncoming army, only to be stopped by Seteth.

The man grabbed him, holding him in place. “Hold Claude. I know you want to help, but I need you to help the other students evacuate. We can’t find Dimitri and, as the only house leader left, you’re all they have. Can you do that for me?”

Claude nodded, the full scale of what’s happening hadn’t fully set in yet. Claude gathered the rest of the Golden Deer, instructing them to gather all the students they could find, and evacuate them. He was about to join Hilda when he noticed a flash of mint hair from the corner of his eye. He turned and watched as Teach ran towards the battlefield, the Sword of the Creator glowing red in her hands.

“Hilda!” he shouted to the pink-haired girl, “Make sure the others get to safety! I’m going to help Teach!”

The girl nodded as Claude ran off in the direction he had seen Byleth run. The scene changed abruptly. He and Byleth were surrounded by monsters. Fighting back to back, it seemed like they were done for. Suddenly, a large, white beast, a dragon, landed and tore the monsters to shreds. The beast looked at them and roared.

“RUN!”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Claude grabbed Byleth’s hand, and they started sprinting towards the monastery. They were so close.

“C’mon Teach. We’re almost there. Just a little furth-”

He was cut off by a gurgling roar. In front of him, a massive beast leaped at him, and, before he could react, Byleth was there, pushing him out of the way. The beast tackled her headfirst, knocking the two of them back. They landed dangerously close to a ravine. Claude scrambled to his feet, desperate to reach Byleth as she held the monster off alone.

The events that followed were the worst events of Claude’s life. First, Byleth jumped backward, activating the Sword of the Creator, and using the now whip to attack the beast from a distance. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t the beast’s claws that were the problem, but, rather, its weight. Before Claude could reach them, the ground beneath their feet crumbled, sending both Byleth and the monster tumbling into the ravine.

“No!” Claude screamed and dove, grabbing a portion of the Sword of the Creator as he slid across the ground. As he’d hoped, the sword went taught, almost dislocating his arm. Claude, now hanging over the edge of the ravine, looked down, coming face to face with Byleth.

“Hold on Teach. I’m going to pull you up.” Claude grunted as he struggled to pull his friend up. Blood started to drip down the sword, one of the many blades cutting into Claude’s arm. He didn’t care. All he cared about was pulling his friend to safety.

He started to make progress, wrapping the sword around his arm as he reeled her in. Then, everything went to hell. The ground beneath him crumbled, causing him to fall over the edge. Flailing out, he grabbed the edge of the precipice, the sudden jerk causing the sword to completely eviscerate his arm, cutting to the bone. He screamed in pain as Byleth swayed beneath him. His breathing was ragged as he hung on for dear life, for both their lives.

“Hold...on,” he spoke through pained gasps, “My...friend. Just hold on.” He looked down at Byleth and his heart stopped. She was crying, her face covered in his blood.

“Teach, don’t you dare. C’mon, you know me. This is nothing. I’ll have us out of this in a jiff.” He was lying. He knew it, and she knew it.

“Claude.” He shook his head, tears starting to sting his eyes as he hung on, unable to pull himself up. “Claude.”

Finally, he looked at her. This time, she was smiling through her tears. “Please Teach, don’t do this. Dimitri, someone will find us. We’ll be alright. You and me.”

She shook her head. “Claude, thank you. Thank you for making me feel special. Don’t get lost along the way, ok?” With that, she let go, the darkness swallowing her whole.

“Byleth!!”

Another change in scenery. He was in a dark place, on his knees as Byleth circled him. He brought his hand to his face. It was wet. He looked up to Byleth, tears in his eyes.

“My friend, I-”

He was silenced as he was suddenly run through with the Sword of the Creator. Only, it wasn’t correct. It was black.

“Shut up. I’m dead because of you, because you weren’t strong enough, because you weren’t brave enough!”

He was run through again, impaled by another dark sword. Blood splattered across the floor.

“Teach, I’m so sorry. You’re right. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t save you. I-”

“Shut up!”

He was impaled again, the pain making his vision blur. He hung his head, accepting whatever was to come, knowing he deserved it.

“Look at you now Claude. You’re married. To Edelgard. She killed me, Claude. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel!” She screamed, running him through once more.

“And, to top it all off, you’re actually starting to fall for her. You don’t deserve to be happy! You don’t deserve anything!” Another sword.

“Claude.”

He couldn’t see, but he expected another sword. When it didn’t come, he looked up. The Byleth who had been torturing him had been impaled by the Sword of the Creator, only, this time, it was the real thing. The sword was removed, and Byleth dissolved into dust, revealing...Byleth. Claude was confused.

“Claude. Stand up.”

She was dressed in strange clothing. They were soft. She helped him up, and ran a hand across his face, a sad smile on her face. “Wake up Claude.”

“What?”

“Wake up Claude!”

* * *

He shot straight up, drenched in sweat. There was a banging at his door, and he managed to cover his arm right as Felix smashed the oak open. Claude wiped his brow, eyeing Felix with panicked confusion.

“Get dressed Riegan. The monastery is being attacked.”

This got Claude out of bed. Careful to keep his arm concealed, he threw on his clothes, Felix standing expectantly. When he was finished, he grabbed Failnaught and walked briskly with Felix.

“Who’s attacking us?”

“Seteth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, we're back. I'm really sorry for my inactivity. It's been a rough couple of months, online schooling hit me pretty hard, but it's alright. I've finished up my first semester and I'm feeling pretty good. For those of you who have stuck with me thus far, I really appreciate your support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and, don't worry, I'll be back soon with more. On a side note, I'm very excited for the next chapter. Some familiar faces show up and they're very classy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monastery is under attack by Seteth and a small force of the Knights of Seiros. Claude takes to the front lines while Edelgard hangs back in order to organize and mobilize a larger force in hopes of repelling the knights. Claude soon finds himself in a bad spot and suddenly finds himself in life-threatening peril.

**_28th of the Pegasus Moon, 1185_ **

“Ok Felix, slow down. What do you mean Seteth’s attacking us? How did he get so close without anyone noticing?”

Felix and Claude, with Lysithea trailing behind the pair, jogged through the many outdoor corridors of the monastery, generals barking orders and soldiers running to their posts all around the three. 

Felix shook his head, and his pace remained constant. “Honestly Riegan, I have no idea. All I know is that an enemy is attacking, and,” arriving at the stables, he threw open the door, “It’s up to us to stop them.” He hopped on his mount, a night-black mare, and motioned for Lysithea to follow suit.

She obliged, and mounted the horse after him, wrapping her arms around the man’s midsection for balance. As they were about to gallop off towards the front gates, she turned back to Claude.

“Edelgard’s gone to give orders. She’ll be leading the defense. You should join her.” Then they were gone. Claude hoped against hope that they would make it out of this alive.

* * *

_ Hours earlier _

A girl with mint-green hair approached a man whose hair, while also green, looked more akin to pine needles. “Brother-”

The man sighed, silencing the girl. “Flayn, I need you to promise me something. It is vital that you understand the gravity of our situation. This is war, and not everybody goes home safely. I only brought you with me because you insisted so vehemently, but, if things become too much for you, swear to me that you’ll retreat.”

The girl shook her head. “Seteth, you know that I cann-”

“Flayn please,” Seteth was begging now, “You are my only reason for existing. If something were to happen to you, I wouldn’t have the strength nor the will to carry on. Please Flayn, promise me that you’ll retreat if things go wrong.”

There was silence for a moment as his plea hung in the air. Finally, the girl nodded her head with apprehension. “Very well brother. I promise.”

* * *

_ Present _

Claude finished buckling the last piece of Rajah’s mount, the white wyvern observing him with her gentle eyes. She had never seen her master so worried before. Out of concern and affection, the beast pressed her head to Claude’s, emitting a deep rumble from within her throat. Claude let out a weak chuckle and gently rubbed her neck. After a second of peace, he mounted his beast, lightly spurring her forward.

“Alright girl, take me up. Let’s see just how bad the situation is.”

Rajah obliged, taking off with a mighty gust from her wings. Mere moments later, Claude was soaring high above the battlefield. What he saw sent an icy claw reaching down the back of his throat. The Knights of Seiros were steadily advancing towards the monastery, and they seemed to be joined by several mercenary groups. Something was off though. Claude tapped Rajah’s side with his heel, and the wyvern flew in closer.

Now that he had a better view of the situation, Claude noticed a few things. The first thing was that, despite their surprise attack, the knights were moving in odd patterns, arranging themselves in circular or triangular formations. The second thing he noticed was that they obviously had more troops hiding in the small forests that dotted the outskirts of Garreg Mach. This was apparent, but something still nagged him. Spurring Rajah to move even closer, he spotted barrels hidden within the forests. Suddenly, realization struck him like a lance. He had to warn Edelgard.

Unfortunately for Claude, he had flown too close, and the enemy had spotted him. A knight general cried out in alarm, signaling the archers to fire upon the lone wyvern rider. As a volley of arrows was nocked and fired, Claude released the reigns, allowing Rajah to perform her own evasive maneuvers. His trust in his reptilian companion paid off, as not a single arrow struck the duo. The knights had a backup plan, however, as a sniper knocked a special arrow, one with a fuse attached. The arrow was fired, and, as Claude watched it approach, he immediately knew something was wrong. He urged Rajah to retreat, but it was too late. The arrow missed the pair, but it was close enough, and it detonated, producing a blast that threw Claude from Rajah. The wyvern cried out as her master tumbled down into the forest below.

Crashing through the trees like a boulder sinking in the ocean, Claude hit the ground with an audible  _ thud _ . Giving him no time to recover from the fall, the knights that had been hiding in the forest rushed him, forcing him to jump up and draw his sword. Reflexively, he deflected a strike aimed at his face, only to have his leg slashed by a knight from behind. The pain from the fall was slowing him down, and, while he managed to deflect blows that would kill him immediately, he sustained wounds across his back, face, and arms. Finally, he had exhausted himself falling to the ground. A knight moved forward to deliver the killing blow when, without warning, an ear-piercing whistle rang throughout the forest, halting the knights. Claude looked up, and, to his utter shock, he was no longer where he was just a moment before.

Standing where he had just been was a man with long, purple hair, and a sword that was similar to a Levin Sword in appearance. Said sword was currently being run through the chest of the knight that had been about to kill Claude. The man cleanly removed the sword, and, with his arms outspread, faced the other knights with a demon-like grin. 

“Behold!” the knights charged him from all sides as the man smirked, touching a hand to his blade. The thing glowed green with wind magic, and the man twirled with all the grace of a professional dancer, slicing through each knight’s armor, knocking them back with a gust of wind, “A bastard!”

The knights shakily rose to their feet, ready to charge the man again, when a larger man, one with black hair falling past his shoulders, charged a knight, planting a mean left hook into his gut, sending the poor fellow flying into a tree. The other two knights, realizing that they were outmatched, attempted to retreat.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Almost simultaneously, two women charged into the clearing, one with stark orange hair, and the other with pale, blond hair. Together, they cast Thoron, raining lightning from the sky onto the two men, boiling them alive in their armor and causing their hearts to explode. All four knights now lay on the ground, dead at the hands of these newcomers.

The purple-haired man approached Claude and offered him a hand. “Hey, friend. How did you get yourself wrapped up in all this?”

The large man let out a hearty laugh. “Yeah Claude, what’re you doing here, and, while we’re on the subject, how’s your mom doing.”

The blond girl scoffed. “Please Balthus. I fail to see how that pertains to the situation at all. And you,” she pointed at Claude, “On your feet at once. The ground doesn’t suit a noble of your standing.”

The orange-haired girl with darker skin looked as if she was trying to repress a sigh. “Jeez Coco, don’t be too hard on him. After all, he almost just died.” She looked at Claude, her gaze completely apathetic. “Though, I guess it’s good that you’re alive.”

Again, the purple-haired man offered Claude his hand. Claude took it and felt his wounds begin to close. They were healing him, all four of them at once. It only took a second, and he was back in his prime.

“I’ll ask again, friend. How’d the leader of the Alliance manage to get himself caught up in all this nonsense?” He cocked his head, smirking coyly and raising an eyebrow.

“Claude chuckled, and showed him his hand, revealing the ring on his finger. “Well Yuri, to make an incredibly long story short, I got married.”

* * *

“Lady Edelgard, I implore you, focus on the battle. Claude is not a priority at the moment.”

Edelgard and Hubert were fighting back to back, the two forming a whirlwind of death, decimating everything in their path. Hubert would use his body to shield Edelgard from magical assaults, and Edelgard would return the favor by using her armor and pauldron to shield Hubert from arrows and physical blows. She had started to slip though, the nagging worry eating away at her focus causing her to falter. Hubert had had to work to cover both of their blindspots.

She muttered a short apology as she yanked Hubert behind her, raising her pauldron to block an oncoming volley of arrows. Hubert quickly dispatched a few of the archers with his Miasma tendrils. Settling back into the mind-numbing pace of battle, Edelgard began to put her best foot forward. The tornado of death resumed, tearing its way through the Knights of Seiros. Edelgard refused to let herself slip again. Hubert was right. She simply couldn’t afford to worry about Claude.

A reptilian cry tore across the battlefield, wrenching Edelgard’s focus towards the sky. “Hubert, teleport us back to the main entrance now!”

Realizing that protest would get him nowhere, Hubert nodded. “As you wish Lady Edelgard.” He snapped his fingers, and they were back at the monastery entrance.

To Edelgard’s horror, her assumption had been correct, as, having just landed at the entrance, was a brilliant white wyvern. Dropping Aymr, she rushed towards the beast, approaching it with care once she was within five feet. She examined it for any outward wounds, and, upon only finding small burns, she turned to Hubert,

“Hubert, listen closely. I need you to join Bernadetta and Ferdinand on the eastern front. I will take a small group, and reinforce the center charge. Understood?”

The grim man shook his head. “Lady Edelgard, you can’t honestly intend to look for Claude. He is but a small piece of a larger picture, an inconsequential pawn.”

It was Edelgard’s turn to shake her head. “No Hubert, you’re wrong. Claude is an invaluable ally. Without him-”

“Without him, we would have full control of the Almyran forces,” Hubert interrupted her, something he rarely did, “It would be easy enough to forge some final orders. I must admit, he was useful at first, but that time has long since expired. I simply cannot let you throw away everything you’ve worked for over some pitiable fool. I see no reason why you would insist on going after him in the first place. Unless,” Hubert’s eyes widened slightly as his frown deepened, “It isn’t possible that he-”

He was silenced as Edelgard glared at him, a bonfire raging in her lilac eyes. Without a word spoken on her end, Hubert bowed.

“As you wish Lady Edelgard. I am yours to command.” With that, he was gone, leaving Edelgard alone with the wyvern and her bundle of worries.

* * *

Claude had never imagined that he’d ever fight alongside the Ashen Wolves again, and he definitely didn’t picture their reunion taking place amidst a war. As it turns out, Yuri and the others had been part of one of the mercenary groups hired to attack the monastery. When Claude asked why he would suddenly change sides, Yuri explained that he was repaying an old debt, and, on top of that, he’d already been paid.

To Claude’s pleasant surprise, Yuri’s troops were absolutely loyal to the man, turning on the knights at his behest. It looked like they might have a fighting chance after all. Still, he still had to inform Edelgard as to what he’d learned.

“Yuri, I need to get back to the monastery entrance!” He was shouting over the heat of battle, the air filled with the clashing of metal and the screams of soldiers. “Do you think you can get me there?”

Yuri nodded as his blade glowed red, easily melting through the armor of a great knight, cutting the man in two. “Of course I can get you there,” he let loose a smug grin, “As long as you don’t mind playing dirty that is.”

Claude nodded. By any means necessary, he told Yuri, and the two put their plan into action. Forming a circle around Claude, the Ashen Wolves sliced, punched, and blasted their way through enemy forces, Claude picking off any flying units and archers in the distance. Slowly but steadily, the group began to advance towards the monastery, surprising many knights before they were cut down by a tandem of metal and magic.

Eventually, they came to a small clearing, and Claude could see the looming gate of the monastery over the trees. He was so close. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, weak. The Wolves turned in shock, only to be ambushed by a group of church mages. Chaos erupted as the group split up to avoid being bombarded.

Yuri gracefully danced between fireballs and lightning strikes, delivering clean cuts across the throats of the mages. At the same time, Constance completely eviscerated several mages with devastating blasts of Fimbulvetr, massive chunks of ice flying everywhere. Meanwhile, Balthus shielded Hapi from the chaos as she healed Claude. He had been hit with Nosferatu.

Yuri and Constance continued to dispatch the mages, the two dancing around one another as they felled foe after foe. Letting loose a hearty laugh, Constance  _ complimented _ Yuri on his performance.

“Oh look at you go Mockingbird. You’re not doing as horrible as I thought you would be.”

Yuri laughed as he activated Foul Play, causing him and Constance to switch places. The sudden change confused the mages, allowing the pair enough time to cut down the rest of them.

“Haha, well you weren’t too bad either sunshine.”

A slight blush rose to Constance’s cheeks. She was about to respond when a gentle voice cried out through the woods. 

“Abraxus!”

Yuri immediately grabbed Constance, and dove towards the ground, shielding her with his body as a massive bolt of light rained down from the heavens, scorching the spot they had just been standing in. The pair hastily rose to their feet, scanning the woods for their attacker.

“Thoron!”

Without enough time to think, Yuri jumped in front of Constance, deflecting the blast of lightning with his blade. Stepping out from behind him, Constance fired back into the woods with a “Bolting!”, firing a lightning blast of her own. Several trees were felled by her blast, eliciting a yelp from a hooded figure as they jumped from their hiding spot.

The pair of Wolves grinned as they laid eyes upon their prey. The hooded figure, sensing their predatory glares, decided that now would be a good time to run. Chucking a fireball at the duo to distract them, the figure turned tail and ran through the woods.

Yuri grinned like a madman, as he swatted the fireball aside. “I don’t think so. You’re not getting away from us. Constance, if you please.”

The girl nodded, planting her hands on the ground as a blue glow began to emanate from her palms. Suddenly, ice burst from the point of contact between her hands to the ground, snaking across the ground, slithering towards the hooded figure. Ice grew up the figure’s legs, holding them in place, before crawling slowly up their torso. Constance smiled at her handiwork. The hunt had concluded. 

Or so they thought. Right as the ice was about to reach the figure’s neck, they vanished, leaving the ice to crumble in their absence. Yuri cursed as Constance sighed with disappointment. They both knew the consequences of not finishing a strong opponent off when they had the chance. Shrugging it off, for now, they rejoined the others, thankful to see Balthus helping Claude to his feet.

Seeing them approach, Claude asked, “So, how did it go?”

Yuri shrugged, grinning his usual grin, one eerily similar to the false one that Claude used to sport. “We got all but one. A powerful white mage was able to teleport to goddess knows where before we could finish her off.”

Claude rubbed his chin, considering everything that had just transpired. “A powerful white mage huh? I wonder,” he shook his head, ending the line of thought, “No time to worry about that now, not when we’re so close. Let’s press on.”

* * *

Edelgard brought Aymr down on an oncoming Knight of Seiros, interrupting the man’s battle cry, and replacing it with the gurgle of a dead man. She deflected the sword of another knight with her pauldron, pushing the man back and kicking him in the chest. Using the space created by his stagger backward, Edelgard slammed Aymr into the man’s skull with enough power to crush a boulder, killing him instantly. Still, she could not rest. The knights were unrelenting, their numbers showing no sign of depleting.

Edelgard wiped her brow, taking in the situation. All around her, Imperial and Almyran forces clashed with the knights. Claude’s Immortal Corps had been able to eliminate most of the mages, but Edelgard knew they couldn’t keep going for much longer at this rate. She needed to figure out a way to end this quickly. If only she could reach Seteth. Eliminating him could dishearten the knights enough to force a surre-

Her line of thought was cut off as an armored knight brought a hammer down, aimed right at Edelgard’s head. She jumped back just in time, narrowly avoiding the death blow She eyed the knight with caution, assessing her opponent like a lioness assesses her prey. The knight, a massive man, had a frenzied look in his eye. He was only here to reap death, and he intended to do so.

He swept his hammer at Edelgard once more, and, this time, she ducked under it. Rising in an instant, she grabbed the man’s arm, and slammed her elbow into it, breaking it with a sickening  _ crunch _ . The knight, forced to drop his hammer, swung at Edelgard, using his remaining arm, with reckless abandon. Edelgard raised her pauldron, feeling the impact of the knight’s fist, and the cracking of all his fingers vibrate throughout the shield. The man pulled back immediately and bellowed in pain and rage. Abandoning all sense of self-preservation, he charged right at her, taking her by surprise, and knocking her to the ground. Aymr was sent skittering across the ground, mere feet from Edelgard’s position.

Edelgard gasped for air. The knight had knocked the wind out of her, and, seeing him standing above her, knew she had to act fast. The knight brought his hands down as Edelgard rolled to the side, leaving nothing but dirt for the knight to strike. The man bellowed in pain again, and, this time, Edelgard used the opportunity. Grabbing her pauldron, she swept the man’s legs out from beneath him, a maneuver that showed off her sheer brute strength. Planting her foot on the knight’s chest, she brought her pauldron down on his neck, crushing his windpipe. He thrashed around for a moment, desperately trying to breathe, but to no avail. Finally, after several seconds, the light faded from his eyes, and he was dead.

Edelgard limped over to Aymr, retrieving and leaning against the ax. Was she truly this weak? Forced to rely on her subordinates to make anything of herself? This was the second time she’d taken an opponent on alone, and the second time she’d almost been done in. She clenched her fists around Aymr’s handle, the blade of the ax glowing red with a light hum. She refused this weakness. It wasn’t something she could afford. 

Rejoining her battalion, she continued to decimate each and every foe that stood before her. Enough of this. Enough of it all. Hubert had been right. She simply couldn’t afford to lose focus, to feel regret, to be weak, to be selfish. None of it. All any of those things would do was distract her from her mission, her purpose. She would reform Fodlan, and nothing was going to get in her way. Not the knights, not Rhea, and certainly not her own happiness. There was simply too much at stake to lose now. With this in mind, she pressed forward, demolishing any knights that dared approach, inspiring those fighting alongside her, both Imperial and Almyran troops. The Adrestian Emperor was a crimson lotus of death, her petals stained red with the blood of her enemies.

  
  


“Hey friend, are you sure she’s at the front gates?”

Yuri’s question only served to strengthen the worry that gnawed at Claude’s mind.

“I-I don’t know. Lysithea said she would be here. I guess it would make perfect sense for her to join the fray. She’s not one to simply watch a battle without causing at least half of the casualties.” Claude’s mind was spinning, the gears in his brain already producing hundreds of plans and contingencies.

Balthus chimed in. “Hey don’t worry pal. If the short stack is fighting with her, then she must be a capable leader, not to mention one hell of a fighter. We’ll help you find her, no matter where she is.”

The rest of the Ashen Wolves nodded in agreement to the statement, but Claude shook his head.

“No. I appreciate it, but you’ve already done enough for me. Yuri,” he turned to the beautiful man, “I need you and the others to find Hubert what we’ve learned about the enemy’s plan. Can you handle it?”

Yuri laughed. “Please friend. We can handle anything. Alright,” he snapped his fingers, Constance, Hapi, and Balthus forming up behind him, “Let’s go Ashen Wolves. Off to find the Bert.”

They ran off through the bloodied battlefield, adding to the mess of bodies littering the ground as they disappeared from Claude’s view. Turning back to the monastery’s main entrance, his heart leaped when he saw his wyvern waiting patiently. He ran up to her with all the excitement he could muster in the midst of battle, and pressed his head against her’s, rubbing her scales back.

“Sorry I got careless, girl. You stay here and rest ok?” He left her after rubbing her chin one last time, Rajah watching her master run back into the battlefield with sadness in her big, reptilian eyes.

Drawing his sword, Claude began to cut and hack his way through the battlefield. He had to admit, close combat wasn’t his strong suit. He wasn’t bad by any means, but he certainly wasn’t as good as Judith, Nader, or even Edelgard. Because of this, he employed every dirty trick he could think of. He kicked dirt in his opponents' eyes, spit in their faces, and kneed several of them in the crotch. This was a war. He had no time for honor.

Dispatching those who stood in his way, and helping the Imperial and Almyran soldiers he encountered along the way, Claude slowly made his way towards Seteth’s position. The soldiers he helped formed up around him, making his advance easier, and allowing him to swap from his silver sword to Failnaught. Commanding the troops with all the ease and comfort that came with making a bed, Claude was able to push some of the knights back, picking them off one by one. One of the knights, realizing that he had no chance against the makeshift battalion approaching him, turned to run. Claude noticed this, and drew Failnaught back, aiming into the distance. That was when he saw her.

Atop the hill, her white hair soaked in blood was Edelgard, surrounded by a small group of knights. Claude watched in awe as she, despite her armor, swiftly and gracefully moved from knight to knight, slamming Aymr into them as if the ax was no heavier than a common broom. The knights crumpled before her might as if they were made of paper. Still, she didn’t stop, her lilac eyes burning with an unholy fiery. She ducked, avoiding a slice from an ax aimed at her head, and spun around, twirling Aymr once before, using the momentum from the maneuver, bringing the ax down on the man’s skull, pulverizing it, and killing him instantly. The way she fought reminded Claude so much of  _ her,  _ and he couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful she looked at that moment.

The shouts of battle ripped him from his stupor, and he fired Failnaught. Luckily for him, his aim was true despite the distraction, and the bolt of energy ripped through the man, melting his armor and singing his flesh, leaving a gaping hole. The man fell to the ground, dead, unaware of how he had died. 

* * *

Edelgard panted, the battle draining her both physically, and mentally. Only half of her battalion remained, and the knights just kept coming. Still, she had to press onward, for the sake of those who followed her, for the sake of those who didn’t know her, and for the sake of those who had died for her. So, she strode onward, using the Crest of Flames on an unfortunate knight to replenish some of her stamina. Still, it wasn’t going to last long. Why had she ordered Hubert to abandon her again? Oh, that’s right. It was because of-

Suddenly, a triumphant shout rang throughout the battlefield, startling the burning Emperor. Turning around, Edelgard was shocked to see a large group of soldiers, Imperial and Almyran, charging up the hill, pushing the knights back, and, right in the middle of them all, adorned in golden garments and vibrantly colored pom-poms, stood Claude. Of course, he would pull something like this at the last minute. He continued to surprise her, even now when she thought she had finally seen what he was capable of.

He ran up to her, carrying several vials, most likely concoctions to treat her wounds. He truly was prepared for everything.

“Edelgard,” he ran up to her, stopping when he was only a few steps away, “Are you alright?”

She was stunned. She was either hearing things, or genuine concern licked at the edge of his tone. She met his eyes, gazing deep into those emerald pools. They were wet with worry. She smiled softly at this. It seems they had grown closer after all.

“You don’t need to worry about me Schemer. I’m just glad to see you safe. I was worr-” She took a step towards him, and her body betrayed her, as she tripped, falling forward.

In the blink of an eye, Claude closed the distance between them, gently catching her, and supporting her against himself. 

“You know, as fearless as you are, you shouldn’t ignore what your body’s telling you. You may be an unstoppable force on the battlefield, but even you have your limits. Here,” still holding her up, Claude handed her a concoction, “I know a healer would be better, but something tells me I won’t be able to convince you to wait for one.

“A wise deduction Claude.” Edelgard took the concoction and downed it in a single swig. It had an effect similar to a particularly strong cup of tea if tea could also close small wounds. Feeling reinvigorated, even if only just a bit, Edelgard steadied herself, still holding onto Claude’s hand in case she fell again. After she was sure she wouldn’t, she let go, and the two of them turned towards the direction of Seteth.

“So, I was thinking,” Claude started, before Edelgard interrupted him with a playful jab.

“You’re always thinking Claude. Tell me,” she looked up at him again, her cheeks red with fatigue, “Whatever could you be thinking about at a time like this?”

Claude chuckled for a moment before a steely expression invaded his demeanor. “We should spare Seteth.”

“What?” Edelgard deadpanned, absolutely floored by the suggestion. “Claude you can’t be serious, and, even if you are, there’s no way Seteth would listen to reason.”

Claude shook his head. “Edelgard look, I know that Seteth may seem like a necessary casualty, but trust me, he isn’t. He doesn’t care about the church at all.” Edelgard opened her mouth to object, but Claude didn’t give her the chance, continuing. “Please, just, listen. He only serves under Rhea because she provides him and Flayn protection. That’s all he cares about Edelgard. Flayn. I’m sure if you offered him a chance to be with her, and promised not to persecute him, he’d surrender.”

Edelgard was about to disagree when she closed her mouth. Claude had a point. Seteth may have been a devout figure in the church, she couldn’t deny that his first loyalty was to Flayn. The two shared a connection deeper than typical siblings. She looked to Claude, gauging his expression. His smile was hopeful, but his eyes were begging. At that moment, she understood and knew what she had to do.

“Very well. I will offer Seteth a chance to surrender.” Claude began to smile, but Edelgard swiftly added, “Understand this though. If he doesn’t surrender, I’ll have no choice. Understand?”

Claude nodded, keeping his spirits high with a mock bow. “Of course my Emperor. Now,” he rose, “Shall we?” He motioned towards the raging battle, his body ready to leave this moment of peace, though his smile betrayed his true feelings.

Edelgard nodded, picking Aymr up off the ground. “We shall.” 

They were off, just like that, tearing through the battlefield like a tornado ripping through trees. Claude would provide Edelgard covering fire from threats above, while Edelgard would keep Claude safe from oncoming enemies. At several points during their advance, Edelgard would grab Claude by the back of his shirt, and, with all the strength of an ox, hurl Claude over a group of enemies, allowing him to snipe them from behind. In this regard, she reminded him of Hilda. The pink-haired brute of a girl had often used the very same maneuver back in their academy days. In fact, it was how they’d won the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. With an amused smirk, Claude wondered if that was where Edelgard had gotten the idea from. Still, not like he minded. He’d let her throw him around any day.

Though their methods were unorthodox, the two steadily advanced towards Seteth’s position. The man was overseeing the charge from the back, directing knights from atop his wyvern. As soon as he noticed Edelgard, his eyes flared with anger, and his normally neutral face contorted with rage.

“You truly are foolish Edelgard. We at the academy had such high hopes for you. It’s a pity that I’ll have to put you down here and now.” It was a threat he intended to carry out, and the wyvern lunged at Edelgard.

Only to jerk to the side as a crackling, red arrow ripped through the beast’s wing. It stumbled midair before crashing to the ground, throwing Seteth to the side. Not one to surrender easily, Seteth was on his feet in an instant, his eyes searching for the person who had shot his draconic companion. When his eyes met deep, emerald wells of sadness, the man’s composure softened.

“Claude. I don’t understand.” His grip on his spear tightened as he gazed upon the man he had watched grow and mature alongside Flayn five years ago. “You’ve sided with Edelgard? Why would you...no, how could you do this?”

Claude didn’t answer at first, drawing Failnaught back, and walking forwards so he was standing next to Edelgard.

“I’m sorry Seteth. It was the only option. Now, please, surrender.”

The pair of sovereigns stood at the ready, staring down the once preacher, Edelgard with steely determination, and Claude with remorseful regret.

Seteth chuckled, a broken, twisted sound. “You know I cannot do that. There is no future for me in a world ruled by the Empire. I would rather die here than watch the world burn.”

Edelgard’s grip on Aymr tightened. “So be it.”

Before Claude could grab her, she rushed towards Seteth, swinging Aymr in a wide arc. Instead of jumping back, Seteth rolled beneath the ax’s blade, closing the distance between him and Edelgard. In a flash of steel, Seteth had a silver spear aimed at Edelgard’s throat, leaving the crimson Emperor no space to react.

Right as he was about to press the spear into her jugular, a flash of red jettisoned between the pair, forcing the Seteth to jump back. He turned, seeing Claude just standing there, already pulling back another red bolt. Edelgard, making the most of the time Claude had bought her, charged Seteth with her pauldron raised. Without enough time to maneuver, Seteth felt his teeth rattle as the large, metal shield slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. When he hit the dirt, the spear was thrown out of his hands. He scrambled to get it but was momentarily blinded as a boot collided with his face. Edelgard’s kick sent him reeling.

Rolling onto his back and looking up, Seteth met eyes with Edelgard. He could feel the heat of her conviction burning in those lilac mirrors of hers, and he knew it was the end. He chuckled. His only regret was not getting to see Flayn one last time.

“Do it.”

Edelgard nodded, raising Aymr. “Your death will be quick. I will see to it that Flayn is provided free passage out of Fodlan.”

“Edelgard!”

“No Claude! We gave him his chance, and he chose death. It’s necessary.” Without hesitation, she brought Aymr down.

“No!”

In a flash of red and gold, Aymr struck something hard, and a resounding crack could be heard throughout the battlefield, momentarily causing a pause in the fighting. Kneeling beneath Aymr, with Failnaught blocking the ax’s mighty blade, was Claude. Seeing the pain in his eyes, Edelgard dropped Aymr, and just stood there, looking aghast. Seteth shared her expression, unsure of what had just occurred.

“Claude, why would you-” she began but had to turn away, as she couldn’t bear to look at him. One of his arms was horribly broken, having been shattered when Aymr came into contact with Failnaught. She had done this to him, she had driven him to this. His pain was her fault. Still, why would he…

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” His words brought her back, and she turned to look at him, gazing upon his soft face. Internally, she was a derecho of emotions, unsure of how to feel. On one hand, he had blatantly defied her, but on the other, she didn’t care. Her stomach sank when she laid her eyes upon his arm. The appendage was limp, some of his fingers bent at impossible angles. She reached out to grab him, to berate him, to punish him, but all her words died in her throat.

Claude turned to Seteth when a cry pulled the attention of all three of them.

“Father!”

Sprinting towards them was the hooded figure from earlier. The wind ripped the hood of the figure’s form, revealing a shocking head of mint-green hair. Flayn, with tears in her eyes, threw herself into Seteth’s arms, the two embracing, holding each other in their arms for a long while.

_ “Father?”  _ This revelation didn’t concern Claude at the moment. Allowing the two their reunion, he spoke to both of them when they looked to him, fear in their eyes.

“Seteth, listen,” pain licked the edges of Claude’s voice, his mouth growing dry, amplifying his discomfort, “I know you only fight for Rhea because she provides you protection. Surrender now, and I promise that, for as long as you or Flayn lives, you will be welcome in the continent of Almyra, free and protected from those who would wish to harm you. Just,” his eyes grew heavy, and he started to trip over his words, “Please don’t make me kill you. I have enough blood on my hands as it is.”

Seteth eyed the man before him, taking in everything about Claude's character. His face was covered in sweat and dirt, though, somehow, his clothes were free from blood. His eyes were dark, though not in a cruel way. They were dim, with only a small light near the back of the emerald iris. His beard was scraggly and his hair was unruly, yet, he carried himself with an air of confidence. Even with a broken arm, he was unrelenting in his beliefs, and Seteth knew his words were true.

“Alright. I surrender.”

* * *

_ Back at the monastery, hours later _

True to his word, Seteth signaled the surrender of the church, and the Knights of Seiros ceased all fighting. Edelgard gave the knights the option to fight with her or to return to Rhea. To the ruler’s surprise, a fair few of the knights chose to remain with the Imperial Army. They would rather fight alongside the Empire than continue to die for the church.

Claude had passed out from pain right after Seteth surrendered. Edelgard had carried him all the way to the infirmary, leaving him in Lindhardt’s care, while she went to discuss the results of the battle with Hubert. After receiving the damage report, she debated whether or not she should visit Claude. The image of his mangled arm returned to her, and she decided against it. He wouldn’t want to see her anyway.

Hours after the battle, all of Claude’s wounds had been tended to by Lindhardt. The mage may have been incredibly lazy, but he was already the Empire’s most accomplished healer. Binding Claude’s arm in a cast, he left the man, bounding off towards his room to take a well-deserved nap.

Finally, Claude groaned, signifying his return to the world of the living. He stirred, feeling his surroundings before opening his eyes.

“Welcome back friend. You had us all worried there for a second.”

To his surprise, the first face that greeted Claude was Yuri’s. The man had a devil’s smirk plastered to his beautiful mug, as he leaned to one side in a lax position, placing all his weight on the right side of his body. He eyed Claude with something that resembled concern.

Claude slowly sat up, Yuri helping him near the end, resting his back against the bed frame. Nodding in thanks, Claude collected himself.

“Good to see you, Yuri. Were you able to relay to Hubert what we had learned in time?”

The man chuckled, a confident sound if that was possible. “Why of course. At first, it took a little convincing. The Bert isn’t too fond of me. Still, we managed to come together. The knights never had a chance to detonate their barrels.”

Claude nodded, reclining back into the bed. “Good. Thank you, Yuri. Thanks to you and the Wolves, we were able to keep damage to a minimum.”

The man shrugged. “No problem friend. After all, I still have a debt to pay off. See you around golden boy.”

After he had gone, Claude was left alone to his thoughts.  _ “Good job.”  _ Screw his thoughts. Rolling on his side, he made himself comfortable. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the pain returned, and he’d rather not be conscious when it did. It didn’t take him long to return to the dark, and he was gone.

* * *

The monastery was quiet and dark, the only sound being the crickets chirping ther tunes to the night. Edelgard decided that she would not sleep tonight. She had far too much work to do, and besides, with her inner turmoil, she doubted she would get much sleep anyway. So she locked herself away in the war room, examining map after map on her own, her eyes growing heavier and heavier as each hour passed.

A knock at the door startled her awake, jolting upright, knocking several papers to the floor. Muttering a silent curse, she gathered the papers from off the floor, and, after placing them in a neat pile on the table, went to answer the door. When she opened it, she was met with a cheerful, tanned face, a scruffy beard, and deep emerald eyes.

“Claude,” she did her best not to sound surprised, “What brings you here at such an hour?”

She moved aside to let him in, not looking at him as he walked by. His arm was wrapped in a cast, no doubt in pain. Her heart sank as the memory of the sickening crack returned to her. Shaking her head, she turned to face him, and, realizing her gaffe, a slight red rose to her cheeks.

Claude smiled. “You know, it isn’t healthy to-” He was cut off as a loud smack echoed through the space. Raising his good hand up to his stinging cheek, he looked at Edelgard in astonishment. He was about to retort angrily, but fell silent when he noticed two silver streams rolling down Edelgard’s face.

“Edel-”

“How dare you defy me like that.” Her voice was shaking as her hands clenched into fists. “How dare you do something so blatantly stupid. I could’ve- I would’ve-” The words died in her throat as she weakly pounded her fists against Claude’s chest.

A lump of guilt formed in his throat, and Claude, throwing all caution to the wind, pulled her into him. It was the only thing he could think to do.

“But you didn’t. You hear me? You didn’t. I’m still here, you’re still here, and we won.”

A strangled sob escaped Edelgard’s lips as she rested her head on Claude’s chest, seemingly not bothered by their proximity.

“But I could’ve. All because you had to uphold your ideals. Claude,” she looked up at him, her wet eyes glistening in the moonlight that leaked through the window, “Your ideals aren’t worth your life.”

“And yet yours are?” He asked the question with no malice, simply putting it out there.

Edelgard sniffled and separated them. Wiping her eyes, she responded, “That’s not fair, and you know it. Look at me.”

He did. He looked right into her eyes, into her soul. He could see everything. Her heavy heart, laden with guilt, but on top of that, he could see someone strong, someone beautiful, cutting her path to the world she hoped to create.

“Don’t ever do that again. Please.”

Claude relented. “Alright. But, you have to promise me, don’t just go killing people because they refuse to surrender the first time. Trust me, you’re much more persuasive when you’re standing above them with a giant ax.”

Despite her previous mood, Edelgard snorted. “I’ll see what I can do Schemer.” She stood still for a moment, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. “And here I thought the Edelgard who cried was long dead.”

Claude looked at her, incredulous that a sane person would say such a thing. “Edelgard, there’s nothing wrong with crying. In fact, it can be a good thing, an emotional release of sorts.”

Edelgard shook her head. “It’s a weakness, an admission of regret. I don’t have time for such things if I hope to change this world for the better.”

Claude cocked his head, a sly smirk rising to the slick-tongued man’s face. “So, you don’t regret shattering every bone in my arm?”

Edelgard looked at him, her expression one of mixed hurt and guilt. “O-of course I do, but it’s different with you. You’re my, you’re my ally. If I had killed you, or any of my allies, it would have destroyed me.”

Claude was taken aback. Her statement was a complete contradiction to the strong demeanor she always presented like second nature. He was shocked to learn that, underneath all that strength, she was scared of losing her allies, her friends. It warmed him to know that she thought of him as such.

“Well, I apologize for making you worry. In the future, I’ll be sure to warn you before I do something incredibly stupid.”

Edelgard’s lips pulled into a slight smile, and she nodded. “Be sure that you do Claude.”

He nodded, and they stood there for a moment, just gazing at each other. Finally realizing how awkward this situation was, Claude turned to leave.  _ “Stay”  _ No. He couldn’t.

“Goodnight Edelgard.”

“Actually Claude,” she turned her back to him, her pallor stained red with warm embarrassment, “Could you stay with me tonight? Please?”

He turned back towards her, raising his eyebrows, blood rushing to his face. “Do you want to go over Jeralt’s diary again?”

Edelgard shook her head, turning to face him with determination. “No, not tonight anyway. I’m devising a strategy for capturing Faerghus, and I would appreciate your help.”

He nodded vigorously, trying to hide his tell-tale signs of embarrassment. “Of course. I would be more than happy to help. After all, I am the greatest tactician in all of Fodlan.”

He took a seat at the table, and Edelgard took the one next to him. The two spent all night devising multiple invasion strategies, capture strategies, and defense strategies. Claude went the extra step, devising ways to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. Together, the pair drew several maps of their own, accounting for rivers and supply lines, possible weaknesses in structure, and advantageous positions. They kept working until neither of them had any energy left. They fell asleep right there, Edelgard dozing off first, her head resting upon Claude’s shoulder as she snored softly.

Claude admired how peaceful she looked, making note of her expression. It was one of freedom, free from the clutches of her nightmares, her worries, and her guilts. At least he was good for something. Taking one last look at everything they had sketched out, Claude put his pencil down, and gently leaned back in his chair as not to disturb the sleeping Emperor. With a mighty yawn, he made himself as comfortable as he could, and returned to the land of dreams. For the first night in many, many weeks, both Claude and Edelgard slept peacefully, free of their night terrors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah! I betcha a few of you were scared I forgot, huh? Don't worry, we're doing one update every two weeks with maybe a few minor breaks in between. As always, I appreciate the support and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write so I truly hoped you enjoyed reading it.


	8. Oops, little update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small update, my bad

Hey guys, so sorry about yesterday. I haven't died again, so don't worry. I'm just taking two more weeks to iron out these next few chapters as a lot of big, world-shattering things go down and I want to make sure I get them just right for you guys. I planned on making this update yesterday, but I forgot, apologies. Anyway, see you in two weeks!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is certainly something. Seeing how this is my first fic here, constructive criticism is encouraged, and appreciated. Anyway, about the fic itself. I really enjoy this pairing, obviously, but Edelgard and Claude have such a good dynamic. Their interactions in-game don't give you much to go off of, but when you examine the two characters, their goals are very similar. In fact, there's a unique battle quote in Verdant Wind, if you have Claude fight Edelgard, that mentions this. It surprises me how rare this pair is honestly. Still, that's what I'm here for. I hope you guys enjoy the work! Oh, if you want to see my update schedule, or support me in different ways, you can find me on Tumblr here: https://nannexrunner.tumblr.com/ ; and on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/RNannex. Anyway, thanks again.


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